Outbreak
by dragonlover131313
Summary: Roxas is thrust into a series of events that can only be described as horrifying. He finds out that he has a gene mutation that lets him survive the deadly Heartless virus outbreak. Death, experimentation,and pain is what Roxas endures. Dark AU AkuRoku
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This story has many similarities to other things published elsewhere; I own nothing and have nothing. I this story is in anyway violating anything I'll take it down. This is just something I dreamed up and wanted to write. Don't own Kingdom Hearts or anything else that may be reference in this Fanfiction.**

**Also this story may seem similar to one named "Remember Me" which is a story written by BeehiveOneThreeZer0 but trust me it is different, the only similarities are coincidental.**

**Just a normal day….right?**

All I can remember is heat, heat and the feeling of all my nerves on screaming at once. As I look back I still wonder if I just had done things a little differently, I wouldn't be where I am right now. If I had just not gone to central park that day or if I hadn't got into a fight with Hayner maybe none of this would have happened. But it did, and now I have to deal with it.

* * *

Rocks were kicked angrily across the sidewalk as a teenage boy walked by on his way home from a bad day at school taking his anger out on the inanimate objects.

Wind blew his naturally spiked blond hair back and forth whilst his bangs whipped into his face. Feeling the chill from the wind, he hugged himself wishing he wore more than a hoodie to school that day.

Navigating a path, he continued on his way through the mob of people that also called Normandy City their home. It was a city that was the on cutting edge of technology, created to be as safe as possible from any natural or human disasters that could possibly go its way.

One might say this tempting faith but the builders were convinced otherwise with their constant boasting in the advertisement in this newly created city built a mere ten years ago. It was on a manmade island isolated from the mainland of America aside from the multitude of underground freeways and the city's famous twin bridges.

The boy continued on his way, weaving his way with expertise through the crowd with only one thought buzzing in his mind like an annoying gnat.

'Hayner has to be the biggest prick!'

With this one thought sending neurons firing, the boy called Roxas was on his way to certain doom. Unbeknownst to him destiny was not feeling good will towards him when planning what was fated for him. The turn of events that would lead to his future was coming his way and it was picking up speed with every second.

"Hey Bro, wait up!" A young brunet haired boy yelled out over the noise of the crowd. He came bobbing up and down to a certain rhythm that only he could pick up on with a smile as wide as his face even as people shoved into him in their hurried pace. Upon catching up to Roxas who had stopped to the side of the sidewalk, he promptly bent over with his hands on his knees in apparent exhaustion.

"I've been following you for over two blocks!" The brunet exclaimed as he hit Roxas over the head after his apparent recovery, "Didn't you hear me calling you?"

Roxas held up his hands in mock apology as he took the lecturing with ease.

"Sora, you should know by now that no one can hear anything in this crowd, c'mon we have been here for a couple of months, haven't you got the hang of it yet?" Roxas said in fake anger as he fought to keep his small smile from rising up.

A grin bubbled up once again on Sora's face, "Hah I know but still doesn't mean I can't try right? Now how bout we get home before Cloud has both our asses for being late again?" Sora punched Roxas' arm with good humor reflecting off his face in happiness.

"Ok, but I want to go to the park for a little while and then I'll head home, I got to straighten out my head… you probably know why…" Roxas's head fell as he trailed off, the humiliation falling over him again at his utter failure at life.

Rubbing his neck awkwardly Sora replied "Yeah I know, heck I think the whole school knows by now."

"You think so?" Roxas asked as his head fell down more as the rest of his body visibly slumped with the news.

"Well, I don't know I could be wrong, Kairi was the one who told me and you know how she is, one ear to the ground so if anyone heard it would be her." Sora explained trying to back pedal the conversation before Roxas became more depressed.

Not looking cheered up at all, Roxas waved his hand at Sora as he walked away, heading toward the park saying before he was out of ear shot "Yeah, yeah, see you at home Sora!"

Looking a little crest fallen, Sora quickly recovered and waved back before turning back towards home hoping that he could convince Cloud, Roxas would be home before dark but knowing full well it would be a difficult conversation.

With a clear destination in mind Roxas let his body take over as the scene played over and over in his head.

_

* * *

"What do you think you were doing Roxas? I thought we were friends you ass!" Bits of spittle sprayed out on Roxas's face as Hayner yelled this directly in front of his face. Hayner pushed him up against the wall harder and was pushing him up so much Roxas forced up on the tips of his toes._

_"ANSWER ME!" The enraged Hayner demanded with more emphasis displayed on his face as it contorted and turned a nice shade of red._

_All Roxas could do was look away in shame. He didn't know why he did it. He didn't even like Ollette that way but he kissed to find something out and this was the result._

_He felt himself slump to the ground as the hands released him. Looking up he saw Hayner walking away with Ollette in tow who had a look of confusion and sympathy etched on her face but she said nothing and allowed herself to be dragged away._

_Roxas stayed where he was pushing a hand through his hair trying to understand what was wrong with him to make him do what he had done._

* * *

Roxas shook his head back and forth angrily as the memory finally was pushed away. Reliving it was getting him nowhere and was only making him feel worse for his betrayal of his friends trust. It wasn't until the crowd began to thin did he look up to see he was directly in front of the parks entrance with all the trees beckoning him to come in.

Walking in he felt some of the tension in his back relax almost immediately as he entered the tranquil setting. Birds flew over his head in their formation as he followed the familiar path to his favorite bench in the center of the pavilion.

People walked by him but it was nowhere near the amount of people in the crowd on the sidewalk and therefore more manageable to Roxas who was a loner by nature. It wasn't that he didn't like people, it just seemed a heck of a lot easier to go through life with as little as connections as possible therefore reducing the amount of drama that ensued.

Setting his heavy book bag by his feet, he scrunched up his eyes and laid his head on his hands and just sat. The wind, more gentle now, blew as if to say everything would be ok and that good news would be around the next bend.

At least, that's what Roxas hoped.

Slowly his body let go and he found himself sitting upright and watching people walk by. It was getting dark now as the sun kissed the horizon changing the sky to a mottle of purples and reds. Normally he would have loved to watch the sun complete his journey but he knew that Cloud would have a cow if he didn't get home soon.

Sighing, he dragged himself to a standing position.

He was about to embark on the long trek home when a thought occurred to him. 'I have time to at least visit the fountain today; heck maybe making a wish could make this day a bit better.'

Roxas meandered his way through the quickly darkening park which had fewer people now. Humming a tune he shoved his hands into his hoodies pockets to keep them warm as the temperature dropped along with the sun.

Before he knew it he was before the gigantic fountain that was in the direct middle of the park. It was decorated to look like a collision of waves meeting in the center with water spraying from various parts to complete the majesty of it all. Looking at it always made Roxas feel turmoil and peace at the same time and it never got boring to look at.

His eyes crinkled at the memories that were fixed here from meeting his friends for the first time or eating sea salt ice cream with his brothers when they first had moved here.

Reaching into his jeans pocket he pulled out the quarter that had been spitted out from the pop machine which he thought was a sign that his day was going to be a good one.

"Huh, you sure are one unlucky quarter" Roxas couldn't help but comment as the day slowly came to a close. His face turned sour and with that thought as he chucked the quarter in the fountain.

With that done, he turned away from the fountain and was about to head home finally, when the world exploded.

**

* * *

Hope you enjoyed and more is to come. Please Review but since this is the first chapter I doubt anyone will even find this story so whooot if you do.**


	2. Chapter 2

Roxas awoke to a world that was on fire.

The fountain was nowhere to be seen and everything was mottled in a swirl of colors as Roxas opened his eyes to see what the world had reaped for him. His ears rang as everything seemed to be muffled but slowly Roxas forced himself to breathe as everything tilted. Hauling himself up he barely registered that his book bag was gone and that his hoodie had a multitude of cuts on it as he took in the sight that surrounded him.

As his hearing came back bit by bit he realized there were people screaming and crying but yet it seemed all to unreal.

Shaking, he dragged himself up from the ground as dully his nerves screamed in protest but it was like an underlying feelings that wasn't fully registering.

His vision slowly recovered as he came to more and more and yet, dully, he wished it hadn't. The closest buildings were a wreck and were barely standing by the looks of it as they let out more groans as the last of their foundation began to give way. The trees that had survived were on fire and with each second came another branch falling off or snapping. Choking smog was cloying the air everywhere as Roxas' mind was desperately trying to sputter commands out to survive.

The clearest image amongst the tangle was, he had to get out of there.

"I got…to get…home." Roxas gasped to himself as his vision suddenly violently spun and his head felt like it was filled with cotton as the ache was kept at bay by pure adrenaline.

He slowly began to walk out of the park down what was left of the sidewalk as unadulterated panic swelled everywhere. People screamed as some horror unfolded before their eyes as the city fell into mayhem in the aftermath of the explosions that had rung out. Though it probably did no good, people crowded together in a herd as they tried in droves to get away from the madness that was ensuing.

Before he knew it, Roxas found himself in the midst of a sea of moving people as he struggled to overcome the mental struggle of accepting what was happening. He was jostled and pushed but he stood where he was as his blue eyes remained murky and his arms hung limply at his sides as his goal of getting home was for the moment swept away in the panic.

Instinctively, he started to move to get to the side to avoid being lost in the sea of people that were rushing to and fro. As he walked, he looked to his side and that is when it finally dawned on him a fraction of what was happening.

Through the crowd he saw people falling to the ground clutching at themselves as something seemed to possess them the way they writhed and cried. People who watched their possible neighbors fall screamed and rushed away as if they were infected which Roxas finally realized could be.

His eyes widened as he walked backward to get as far away as what was happening as possible. More and more people dropped increasing the screams and crowd hysteria but Roxas only felt paralyzed with fear until he remember, 'Cloud, Sora!'

Using this as a mental push, Roxas leapt forward dodging people left and right as he tried in vain to go home, to somewhere that made sense. The crowd was too much and with each passing second more people were falling succumbing to what Roxas finally realized wasn't smog in the air but black particles.

Turning down an adjacent alleyway, Roxas ran as fast as he could trying to escape the very reality he seemed to be trapped in. Skidding to a stop to make another corner he didn't start running again when he saw what awaited him.

People, at least he thought they were people, were standing up but they weren't right as they seemed to be halfway covered in black tar as they made low guttural sounds in the back of their throats. They turned their heads to the new sound as Roxas stood where he was unable to move as their whited out eyes fell on him.

Without waiting for them to move Roxas turned and ran.

He heard one of them scream as the sound of shoes hitting the ground was heard as they followed after him. Moving on nothing but instinct Roxas clamored on top of a dumpster that had luckily been misplaced under a fire escape allowing him to jump up and pull himself up to the safety above.

The people began to follow after him leaving black footprints in their wake but a particularly loud scream pierced the air directing their attention just enough for them to only give him one more glance before running away towards the sound.

Left alone with the sounds still reaching him, Roxas felt in a daze as he took a step back and slid backwards. Normally he would have caught himself as would any other functioning human but this time Roxas only slammed his head into the metal railing of the fire escape knocking himself out cold in an instant as soon as his brain ricocheted against the side of his skull.

As his senses fell away, the world burned around him.

* * *

The air was still, the black particles had finally cleared out and the city was quiet for night had fallen.

Wreckage was seen far and wide with buildings surrounding ground zero just skeletons with only their steel support systems able to withstand the damage but even that had been damaged to a great degree.

Roxas awoke with a start this time as the memories came back in a flash as he pushed himself up expecting one of those 'things' to be near him. Breathing heavily and his heart pumping erratically in his ears, he forced himself to look around but with only the moon for light little could be seen in the dark alleyway. Holding onto the railing he supported himself as the fear slammed into him yet again but as soon as it passed he was on the move.

Not caring that there was dried blood dribbled down his face, Roxas did his best to haphazardly fall to the dumpster below where he promptly lost his balance and skid to the ground. Getting to his feet haphazardly, Roxas looked around wildly expecting a humanoid figure to come at him but the alleyway remained silent.

With only the desire to get back to his brothers running through his head, Roxas ran. The alleyway seemed to shrink as he forced his legs to move and his arms swung almost erratically as he struggled to keep his balance with his brain still trying to repair itself after the trauma it had been forced through in such a brief amount of time.

The entrance of the long alleyway welled up in front of him giving him new hope and energy as he strove to go faster, the memories of his bad school day all but forgotten in the fearful state he was in now.

It was only when he came out onto the main road did he finally realize this nightmare was just beginning.

Black spattered people were everywhere along with the mangled bodies of others as the sound of guttural tearing and crying was echoed as the humanoid creatures dove into their meals with vigor. Their black splotches seemed to writhe in the air and grow as they went out their eating and on a few their eyes glowed a distinctive yellow.

Everything Roxas had ever seen in his life could have ever prepared him for the slaughter that was before him now.

Though he didn't make a sound and only stood there as the wall of reality slammed into him once again, a few heads turned to him. The motley of yellow eyes that were on a few stung him as he tried to will his body into doing something, anything that would make him not die in this pathetic alley.

A few hopped away from their corpses and started to edge towards him with an odd sort of lust in their eyes as their contorted mangled bodies crawled on all fours unable to stand on two anymore.

Just as they were almost upon him as he stood helplessly trapped in his own fear ridden body, the most wonderful sound was heard, gunfire. The black splattered humans let out cawing noises as they were driven away slowly though a few that tried to run forward and attack were gunned down within seconds.

Roxas watched as this happened and had to fight not to fall down to his knees in sheer relief. Instead he watched as a squadron of what could only be described as military personel marched down the road completely covered in black armor with gas masks fitted to their faces. They stopped and surveyed the scene as a few walked out of formation to investigate the slaughter.

Beofre Roxas could even move, one of them noticed him standing there and motioned to the others.

"Sir we have a live one" A voice called out sounding as if it was speaking through a walkie talkie Roxas to finally break free and begin to walk forward, a relieved smile on his face as he struggled to express his gratitude at their arrival.

"Shouldn't he be, you know, one of them by now sir, he has been exposed?" Another one asked coming up alongside the crowd that was slowly coming to observe what seemed like the sole survivor.

The one that Roxas guessed to be the leader moved apart from the military ranks and walked closer to Roxas until he was only a couple of feet away. Roxas took a step forward ready to let them rescue him and take him far away from what had happened.

What Roxas didn't expect to happen though was the man grabbing his hand and jabbing it quickly with a needle he had whipped out form one of his compartments on his belt. Roxas yelped as he pulled his hand back to rub it sending a questioning look at the man who was gently tapping the needle.

"Why did you do that? What's going on?" Roxas practically yelled as fear gripped him again but he struggled to hold onto his composure.

Saying nothing the man just stared at the shot as the liquid inside turned from clear to black resulting in him just muttered one thing, "Oh god..."

And with that he raised his hand and made a quick signal with his hand towards the men that stood behind him.

"Are you sure sir?" One of the men asked tentatively as if the signal was something almost unbelievable.

"Don't question orders!" The leader shouted back with a gruff voice filled with almost a sense of wonder.

And with that a hand swung out hitting Roxas full on the head sending him sprawling back down to the ground. But he wasn't out, head swirling Roxas had had enough with the wild turn of events that had been sent his way. His hands on either side of him gripped the ground as he hauled himself halfway up as he practically snarled upwards at the men he had thought to be his saviors. They looked silently back down at him, their gas masks obscuring any emotion they might have before the head man gave out a sigh and stepped back forward raising his gun.

As Roxas watched as the guns butt end was swung downward, he felt something start to appear in his hands but before he could do anything more the gun was smashed once again into his head.

He fell back once again and as he lost consciousness he looked up at the army that started to move again but asked one thing before he was taken away by the darkness for the third time in less than 24 hours.

"Why..?"

"Because" The head of the squadron replied without a second thought "You're a Nobody"

And upon hearing that Roxas was finally swept away into a deeper unconsciousness that he had ever thought one could experience.

* * *

**Update: Holy crap did I have to change a lot of stuff in that chapter to make it less crappy but I hope this turned out well for the people who read through this**


	3. Chapter 3

When consciousness finally returned Roxas to the land of the living, he thought he was still in a dream when everything was marred in darkness. Even after furiously blinking a couple of times the night before his eyes remained as strong as ever.

Roxas fought to quell the rising panic that was rising up his throat as he finally realized that he was lying on a cold hard metal surface with all his limbs restrained by what he could only guess was super strong Velcro. As for what kind of room he was in he had absolutely no idea but from simply guessing he would have hazarded that it was average size just from the feelings of it.

Breathing in through his nose in an attempt to calm himself made him catch the strong scent of what can only be described as a hospital smell. It made Roxas' skin crawl as the things of nightmares described exactly the situation he was in right then. Through his fear he felt his head ache from his many bludgeoning as well as the scrapes he had accumulated over his escape attempts but they were nothing in the face of what he faced now.

As he lay there on the hard slab his unadulterated fear and dread turned into hate and anger at everything that had happened.

He yelled out cursing anything and everything as he violently fought against the binding that held him down but to no avail. His cries reverberated around the room enclosing him in cocoon of his own3 misery as he was forced to listen to just how horrified and hurt he was.

Settling down after he had gotten all that he could out of his system, Roxas listened to the remaining echoes of his fury as he screwed his eyes up and thought back to his family.

'Sora, Cloud, please be ok, just please be ok.' His throat closed up as he bit the inside of his lip to stop emotions from once again overwhelming him with despair.

He had seen Sora only hours before everything had happened and the thought of anything happening hadn't even ever been considered. He only could pray that Sora had made it home ok and not gotten sidetracked like he had. Thinking back he wished he had woken up early enough to say goodbye to Cloud but like every morning he had slept in until the last possible moment.

Reopening his eyes he stared upward at the unseen ceiling and wondered just how much time had passed since the terrible turn of events his life had taken.

He didn't even want to think about what had happened to those people right before his eyes. The black patches that had covered their skin and their animalistic eyes had made every horror film he had seen pale in comparison to the crushing weight of reality.

And what had that military officer said, that he was a Nobody?

"Damnit…" Roxas whispered finally to himself as he lay there waiting for something, anything to happen.

Light suddenly exploded from a fluorescent light from above causing Roxas to let out a hiss as he felt his pupils dilate erratically resulting in a sheen of light to cover his vision for a second. Slowly his eye sight returned and he lifted his head off the table as much as he could to see a man of average size wearing a lab coat in the doorway. His hair was black and pulled back into a ponytail that fell behind his back. Glasses shown in the light and reflected the light with each tilt of the man's head. A smile touched his face and slowly worked its way into a sinister grin.

Between the glints of the glasses Roxas saw that in the man's distinct brown eyes there was a glint that stood out that had a malicious intent in it that immediately made his primal instinct yell to not trust this man.

"Good morning, Roxas." He stated simply "It is Roxas, right? This ID picture sure looks a lot like you…but you never know in this day with identity theft and what not." His smile grew, "People can be so untrustworthy."

Roxas didn't say anything as felt the old anger return with a clear and visible enemy in sight. He wanted to ask questions and demand an explanation but he stay quiet hoping the man would give him some information. All he could do was lock his mouth into a frown and narrow his eyes into what he hoped was a menacing glare that would make the man think twice about anything.

"Oh no reason to be like that Roxas, not when me and you are going to be the best of friends" The man walked in closer to stand over Roxas as he started to circle him like some predatory creature.

Even with this clear prompting Roxas didn't budge in his silence. It was at that moment he didn't know if he could even talk without his voice cracking under the pressure of the situation.

"Ok, if you're going to be like that," as he said this he brought up his hand in mock horror, "I guess that I'll just have to leave you in the dark again, with no answers to the questions that are no doubt bouncing around in that spiky little head of yours." He finished this with a grin that reminded Roxas grimly of the Cheshire cat and knew that he was already plunged into the rabbit hole without any way out.

Hojo leered down at him forcing Roxas to mutter, "Where am I?"

"So it can speak? Aright, you my special friend, are at a government research facility somewhere in America, I'm not allowed to disclose anything else regarding the location to you but I will say that it is practically in your backyard." The nameless scientist explained with the grin still on his place. It made Roxas feel sick to his stomach.

"Why am I here?" Roxas asked steadily louder as his fought to control the frustration roiling inside him like a typhoon. The fear was still there sure but it's always better to be angry at something rather than let your fear grab hold and pull you under.

"It's quite simple really, because you're a Nobody" The scientist stated shrugging his shoulders as if this was the most obvious thing on the planet and to explain it was below him.

Roxas stared blankly as that same word that he had heard the military leader say before he passed out. It was as if a vocabulary word was out to get him the way it was being thrown in his face in replace of a proper explanation.

"Yes, I presumed no one had told you just how unusual you are." The scientist commented as he rounded around Roxas again, the glint returning back to his eyes. "A _Nobody_, with a capital N, is just a term us scientists have coined for people with the piece of DNA strand that is resistant to the virus, Roxas but I suspect for you to fully understand it I will just have to start from the beginning," The scientist let out a sigh as he pushed his glasses up further along the bridge of his nose as if this task was all so tedious.

"Do you know what the traditional zombie is?" Roxas nodded not understanding the point of this question. "Well, the creatures that you saw, the humans that had become more like animals with the yellow eyes, they are what we have called Heartless with a capital H. See, back to the zombie comparison, they, like zombie, thirst for one thing even though it does little to nothing for them but instead of _brains _its _hearts."_

"So you're saying that those things I saw are zombies?" Roxas asked feeling lost during the whole explanation.

"That was only for comparison Roxas. We call them Heartless more out of comedy than anything for the technical name would be too hard to say on a daily basis as we use it quite frequently. You see, they are always searching for hearts while in all actuality they seem to be able to sense heartbeats with their enhanced senses. We have yet to pin down why exactly but there you go."

"I still don't understand." Roxas said bluntly not beating around the bush in his confusion. The memories of those people hunkered down over the dead sat in his head. Could they really have been eating those people's hearts?

The scientist only smiled more as if Roxas' naivety amused him to no end. "People become Heartless after they have breathed in the virus that immediately takes root in their heart. This said virus is spread when someone breathes in the dark air surrounding a Heartless. Once this happens they have a mere half an hour before they become a mindless drone. Their insides begin to change and their heart, which the virus takes root in from the get go, transforms into a whole new organ. That is why they are known humorously known as Heartless because that organ can no longer be called a heart."

Roxas's brain was still trying to process all this when the Scientist continued.

"But you see, not everyone is affected by the virus." The man bent forward as he poked Roxas in the stomach, his glasses glinting maliciously, "You are one of those people Roxas, you have won the genetic lottery and thanks to your very DNA you are a Nobody, the one with heterozygous advantage. "

The Scientist paused dramatically and waited for Roxas' reaction.

Biting his lip, Roxas looked up and asked, "Ok, that is all fine and dandy but you never answered my first question, where the fuck am I!"

"Again with the yelling Roxas," sighed the Scientist "You are at a research facility and like I said before the rest is classified."

"Fine, so what the hell do you want with me then. What makes me so special that those men took me here?" Roxas was starting to lose control as the information was presented to him like some kind of PowerPoint and he was just expected to say, 'Yeah I totally understand, thanks teacher.'

"Ohhhh I was waiting for you to ask that," The scientist practically squealed, barely able to hide his happiness. "This is where the fun begins. Roxas, as you already know you are a Nobody and therefore immune to the Heartless virus. This means a variety of things that we have already found out from a few other Nobodies we have acquired."

"Other Nobodies?" Roxas said this more to himself than anything but the scientist heard him as he continued.

"More than you know but now Roxas that you have been exposed to the Heartless air your body is going to change and if you're lucky you will be ok."

"What do you mean... if I'm lucky?" Roxas asked with a tinge of fear he had been trying to mask throughout this entirety of the freaky interview.

"You see Roxas, the mutation you're going through will either end very well or very badly. When your body first breathed in the virus your body was alerted to its presence and instead of keeling under the weight of the threat it instead excels and fights back in more ways than one. Your body is trying to prepare for the threat of the Heartless but sometimes bodies make mistakes. We have seen cases of Nobodies developing night vision or being able to summon weapons out of thin air but we have also seen atrocities of nature where Nobodies have sprouted growths or appendages where there should not be said appendages."

Roxas eyes grew with every second as the horrors he had to face kept growing.

"Now you see Roxas you have a choice, you can either cooperate or not."

"Cooperate with what!" Roxas yelled as he tried to hang onto the edge of his sanity as this nightmare refused to end.

"Well with us dear binky boy, If you do what we ask we can give you an injection that we believe will stop these horrible mutations or you can resist and we will keep you strapped down on this table and do experiments on you until you're dead." He paused and leaned in close before finishing, "Is that clear enough?" His face became deadly serious as he stopped inches form Roxas' face making him flinch openly.

Silence ensued after this blunt statement as Roxas watched the man lean back and stare down at him. The vulnerability that he felt in every fiber of his being at the threat made him want to something, anything to make it go away.

He wanted his Sora and Cloud.

Closing his eyes he tried to see their faces and as they appeared he saw in the back his parents smiling at him silently saying he would be fine. Drawing any kind of help from these imaginary phantoms he did what he had to do if he ever wanted to escape and get back to his family.

And to do that he had to reach deep within himself to seal himself off.

"Fine, I'll cooperate." Roxas stated bluntly with an edge of steel in his voice.

"Excellent, now why don't I properly introduce myself Roxas, My name is Hojo." The glint in his glasses returned.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you going to let me off this thing now or what? I thought we were friends now." Roxas asked trying to contain his bitterness with a fake smile. His back was starting to hurt and the vulnerabilities with his limbs tied down in a room with what Roxas perceived as a calculating man made want to do anything to get free.

"Oh of course, dear me, I was so sure you would refuse our offer that I didn't think that far ahead." Though, from Roxas could tell, he had very much so predicted this turn events by the smug look on his face, "Here let me put this on you first." Hojo said next as he fixed a black metal band that had various lights blinking on an off on it around Roxas' ankle, closing it shut with a short click. "That's to discourage any unnecessary outbursts from you."

Roxas looked at it grimly with a barely suppressed need to claw it off but he pushed it back with his resolve. He was going to get through this one way or another and if it was the way of going along with this man then so be it.

He was not going to be a victim.

Hojo looked down at the device with a cold smile before he went to work on the Velcro straps and with a few movements of his hands he was done leaning back away observing as Roxas moved. Ignoring the stare, Roxas pushed up without a sound and swung his legs over the side of the slab to slide off careful to look as least threatening as he could which was not that hard.

"Now that we have finished with that unpleasant business, why don't we go down to my offices so I may inform of the other aspects that cooperating with us means."

"Oh joy," Roxas muttered to himself. His denial of what was happening slowly ebbing away to acceptance.

Hojo led him out of the room into a dimly lit hallway that was peppered with doors and wide windows. As they walked, Hojo started to blabber on about something but before Roxas could listen to what he was saying his attention was diverted to what was happening right behind the glass windows they passed.

Behind each one was a person strapped down to a table not unlike he had been before and was being dissected and in some cases, was still alive. The walls must have been soundproof for Roxas couldn't hear any cries of agony but there was no need as on every face he saw there was a silent scream etched on their face

Not able to take anymore he looked away and focused on the ground watching his dirty sneakers pass under him on the clean linoleum as they walked their way out of the hallway that didn't seem to want to end.

"Ah here we are at my lovely abode." Hojo stated with a flourish of his hand directing Roxas to go in. The office was sparsely furnished with a just a desk strewn with documents, a lonely bookcase and an x-ray board with x-rays pinned to it. "If you will just step this way Roxas I will illustrate my point of the risk that you are in currently that I was explaining on the way here," With a deft hand he point towards the board.

"These are x-rays of past Nobodies that we have worked with and some are ones that we reproduced from records we found." Roxas looked up not knowing to expect and his mouth dropped a bit at what he saw. X-rays of things growing where there shouldn't be anything growing. One had bones protruding everywhere. One had grown another arm and another horns sprouted from his head.

Roxas felt a shudder run through his body at the thought that this could happen to him if what Hojo was telling him was the truth.

"This is what has happened to Nobodies in the past. Their bodies seem to just have the wrong genetic code or the body just slips up. Either way it's almost always lethal to the Nobody if this occurs. We believe that this may be natural selection at its cruelest or funniest degree, I'm not sure how to look at it myself," Hojo explained letting out small chuckles between his words as if finding all this hilarious in some twisted way. "But since you are one of us now Roxas we can let you, as Subject Seven, have the one and only drug that will allow you not to become like one of these other Nobodies, don't you feel special!" As he said this he pulled out a needle filled with a black liquid. "We will just inject this into you every day when you're with us."

"What do you mean with you? Won't I be with you all the time?" Roxas asked feeling that perhaps there was a hope that he wasn't going to have to spend the time until he escaped with this man.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that part of the deal, oh well. Yes sadly you will not be with us nonstop Roxas. In order to let us have any chance with you at all we need to let the military, which coincidently provides money for this branch, to get a hold of you as well."

Roxas said nothing as the surprises just kept hitting him.

"Now let's start with our control figures so we can know how much you change when your body undergoes when it hits, shall we? This way please." Hojo finished up gesturing towards the door before walking out purposely expecting Roxas to come along after.

Roxas followed dumbfounded.

Just this morning, or was it yesterday, he was eating breakfast with Sora before heading out to school and here he was now trapped in this _place_ without a clue what was going to happen to him. His only goals were to live and escape and how he was going to do that was not going to be easy.

He just had to have patience and the will to survive.

* * *

The day passed with Hojo having Roxas participate in a variety of different tests such as seeing how long he could run, how much he could lift to name a few with a menagerie of simple ones including his blood being taken as well as his heart rate monitored. All these and more would serve as the control group for the future tests that would take place to see just how much change would take place.

Roxas was greeted with many different scientists throughout the whole ordeal who all looked at him with what Roxas thought was a sort of hunger in their eyes. They poked and prodded him all the while saying things such as, "Doesn't seem much compared to the others," and "We'll just have to wait and see, don't have much choice now."

It all made Roxas feel numb as he tried to distance himself as much from the world while at the same time trying to take in anything that would help in future.

It proved rather difficult but Roxas did his best to manage as he focused on what he was seeing rather that what he was feeling. He looked at the variety of scientists that bombarded him and categorized them by how they looked and acted as a sort of game to pass the time.

Because of this, he was able to make it through the day.

"Roxas we are done today, this will be your room during your stay with us," Roxas felt himself return to reality as he looked up to see a rather mouse like man tell him this. He had been with Roxas throughout the day looking as if everything had completely bored him while he chewed on nails. This had led to Roxas affectionately dubbing him Nail Biting Dude.

When Roxas failed to say anything, the man let out a sigh before opening the door that had only a single window on it open further hinting to what he wanted the teenager to do. Roxas didn't leave him hanging though as he walked in to see what would be his new living space. It was cozy as a realtor would describe it with little in the way of furnishing brandishing a mere single bed with a dresser on the opposite side.

"I'm sorry to say that we have to lock you in here every night but that's the way it is," said Nail Biting Dude even though he didn't look sorry at all, more like bored as he stuck a finger in his mouth to start chewing on it.

"Isn't that what this thing is for?" Roxas asked as he grimly pointed at his tracker on his ankle, the unusual weight of it still bothering him.

Nail Biting Dude waved a dismissive hand and didn't bother answering and just said "The dresser has clothes in it so you can change out of that, sorry we didn't let you change earlier but Dr. Hojo wanted the control groups as soon as possible." Then without any sort of goodbye, the man shut the door and from the outside a lock clicked into place effectively leaving Roxas alone for the first time that day.

Roxas stood in the center of the space feeling almost shell shocked as the events of the day finally settled into his mind. Blundering to the bed, he sat down hearing it creak under his weight but it seemed far away.

He drew his legs up and sat with his knees against his chest as he slowly enclosed his arms around them to hug himself tightly. Crushing his head into his knees, he let his body shake for the first time that day allowing for just that moment to feel the sadness, the fear, and the weakness.

It was when his head finally came back up did his eyes hold determination.

* * *

Over the next couple of days the scientists had the monopoly over Roxas.

From morning to night they had him do everything from IQ tests or to seeing how long he could swim in a tank before he passed out from exhaustion. And of course the injections at the same time every day like clockwork. The first time he got one he had forced himself to watch as if to steel himself to what was to come. The needle was pushed into his raised blood vein and as the top was pushed own the black mercury like liquid was squeezed into him.

It had felt cold but Roxas continued to watch hoping that they had told the truth, and this was only to help him.

Like the first day, he watched the scientists that held him captive and cataloged their various attributes along with schedule in a mental catalog in his head. The few that were around him the most were dubbed Mustachio, Comb Over and Nail Biting Dude who were all appropriately named for either how they looked or their daily snacking.

None of them compared to the Beast though.

The Beast was a middle age man who was extremely hairy and of larger stature compared to the other shrimpy researchers and it was this man that was Roxas' least favorite Scientist.

No that's doesn't describe it enough, he loathed this man with every fiber of his being. This was the scientist that was always the head of the worse experiments and seemed to be present during any moment of pain.

Every night before Roxas fell asleep, in an attempt to not think about what happened that day he would imagine what he would do to this man when he got the chance. The pure imagination that was used in the process helped keep back the bay of memories that threatened to overwhelm his control.

It was after about a week the scientists relinquished Roxas to the Military for week when after that week passed he would go back to the Scientists and so on and so on.

The military explained in his first encounter that he was to be trained to become a part of an elite group of Nobodies that worked out in the field Roxas only nodded dimly when he heard this.

'So be it,' he thought 'If they train me and then send me on missions the better chance I have of escaping.' He couldn't give up on this hope. As he was led to his new regiment of training he chanted the names of his brothers and his friends to keep himself afloat.

The military was rough and was led by a very stern man who seemed to emit an aura of authority. In no time did Roxas learn his name was Sephiroth.

He was a tall man with a menacing glint in his eye as well as long silver hair that was often tied back in a ponytail as Roxas soon found out.

Over the weeks Roxas learned that he used to be a tough but kind man until he was exposed to the Heartless and then he promptly changed for this man was also a Nobody. He had one large wing on his back in what the scientists said was his bodies failed mutation. Apparently they didn't have the perfected drug they had in their hands today.

When Roxas was with the military he was trained to fight in hand to hand combat and with a few guns until they found out what his weapon was, or even if he had a weapon. At first he was trained with the new recruits but later was bumped up to training directly with Sephiroth after he excelled to a certain degree.

The training consisted of Sephiroth beating Roxas to a bloody pulp day in and day out. He seemed to think that pain was the world's greatest teacher and if Roxas didn't want to get hurt he better shape up and avoid it.

The other training Roxas went through such as stealth, strength and cardio all helped in these sessions though it wasn't enough to prevent Roxas from leaving the training in intense pain each day during the military week.

A month passed in this fashion with Roxas dreading everyday he was awake but he managed by saying his family and friends names and by deciding how he would get his revenge and escape. His knowledge of the personnel of both the military and laboratory grew with each passing day.

All this made Roxas become even more hardened and reserved than he had been before as he went through the motions of everyday doing his best not to be killed. It was a good thing in his situation but it made Roxas fell as if he was losing bits of himself in the process but it couldn't last forever.

He was going to escape.

The question was when.

**

* * *

Update: Still a bit shabby but it was the best I could do without changing to much. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a month and Roxas had not shown any developing powers at all which greatly concerned the different Scientists that prodded him each day. They were confused because all their previous test subjects had apparently started to show signs within two weeks or so making Roxas appear like one great big dud.

Whispers bounded right and left that the drug wasn't working to its desired effects which made Roxas wonder what that meant each time considering he had been told it would stop mutations not cause something.

Hojo merely said to all the doubters, "Those who wait are rewarded the most." He was one of the few that didn't seem worried about it all, more amused.

Roxas was worried but for much different reasons. If they didn't get their desired results they might decide to _terminate _him and with no training besides the basic military he didn't think he would have a chance against them. He also didn't have a chance at escaping at this point making him getting some kind of a power a must if he wanted to stay alive.

It was during one of the weeks he was shuttled off to the Military Division on the other side of the building did something finally happen.

Roxas was attempting to vent his frustration on Sephiroth during one of their training session but it wasn't going that well.

He had yet to manage any substantial hits and to top it off he was barely dodging Sephiroth's blows. Letting out a stream of curses, Roxas made a futile punch towards the silver haired man but only ended up flying forward with his balance thrown off as Sephiroth brought a hand down on his back as he passed by causing Roxas to drop like a rock.

Pushing himself up as fast as possible to avoid the kick that would come if he didn't. Standing to his feet he wiped the blood off from his split lip and turned towards his instructor who was looking down at him with almost disdain.

"You are a disappointment Roxas, I expected much more from the Subject Seven and I've grown impatient with this so adapt or die!" Without waiting for Roxas to respond he summoned his long sword named masamume with a quick flourish and stepped into a battle stance with an uncustomary menacing glare on his face.

"You see Roxas, either you show some powers and fend me off or I will simply have to kill you. This institute doesn't need a drain on its resources for nothing and I do not wish to train anyone who isn't worthy." And with that he lunged forward, seemingly gliding across the floor as his one wing was extended out catching the light.

Roxas immediately rolled out of the way and prepared to defend himself against the next onslaught but wasn't fast enough to dodge again as the sword nicked his side before he could recover efficiently enough to get away. He let out a small gasp at the sudden pain but shook his head knowing that if he paused for a second he would be skewered.

He knew Sephiroth wasn't joking and this wasn't just another combat lesson, this was for real.

Though he should have been scared out of his mind, Roxas stayed calm even as his blood boiled with anger. The months he had spent here had made him capable of staring at his opponent and not flinching knowing the risk of doing so.

Sephiroth didn't even pause and jumped into the air about ten feet up with his single wing extended so to Roxas he looked like the angel of death coming for his soul.

On his return to earth, Sephiroth brought his sword down and slammed it into the ground just missing Roxas as he took a quick dance like step backwards at the last moment. Sephiroth hit the ground but jumped off using his momentum to leap forward but Roxas moved around the black and landed a full on punch into the man's chin sending him back a few steps.

Sephiroth looked taken aback but quickly recovered and started to laugh.

"Everyone said you wouldn't attack back but I knew you wouldn't just dodge me forever considering your often blatant strategy. I am glad you are not a disappointing competitor after all I did train you."

Without warning Sephiroth went forward again with his blade held high. The battle that ensued lasted twenty long grueling minutes leaving Roxas exhausted by the end of it.

Sephiroth on the other hand only seemed to be getting faster and even though they had battled everyday of every other week he seemed to be switching up his attack patterns at random and there was no way for Roxas to follow him. Finally a sword swipe that was partially defended against sent him into a wall where he slid down and sat crumpled at the base with his arm bleeding.

Roxas breathed in and out in an attempt to get air into his lungs after it had been pushed out of his stomach.

He looked up to see Sephiroth walking towards him with unreadable features. "I'm impressed Roxas, no one has never lasted this long against me when they had no powers to speak of, alas I still have to finish you off, can't hold back on my threat." Giving Roxas one more look he raised his sword for the finishing blow.

'No, not like this!' Roxas thought furiously. 'Sora, Cloud, Pence, Hayner, Ollette!' He put up a hand in his last attempt to ward off the blow hoping that this couldn't be the end, it wouldn't be.

A giant clang rang out in the resounding seconds leaving Roxas' arm to go numb just as the noise was heard.

Slowly, Roxas opened his eyes to see the impossible.

He was still alive and the long blade was a mere two inches from his face only prevented from reaching him by what was in his hands. Looking at it, it could only be described as a giant metal key that was silver and had a yellow hilt. Roxas looked up with the confusion unhidden on his face to see that Sephiroth had a low smirk on his face.

"The keyblade, it would be." Sephiroth stated with an edge to his voice that was indiscernible. Without any sort of explanation, he turned around and dismissed his weapon as he walked away out of the practice area.

"Wait, what the heck just happened!" Roxas started after him but winced and saw his side and various other cuts were bleeding more heavily than he would have liked.

"Clean yourself up, and next lesson you will learn how to properly wield it. Heh, also congratulations, your power has started to awaken." The edge was still there but Roxas found it hard to care as he watched the man's back slowly get smaller until it disappeared behind a door.

* * *

The next month whizzed by with all the activity that took place but Roxas merely watched it as if from a distance. The scientists were progressively amazed at the progression he had during their tests for improvement was found everywhere from his stamina to his strength but Roxas found it hard to care during each session he was stabbed with the needle.

Sephiroth trained him even harder if that was possible. They drilled so much that Roxas head swirled with everything he was learning and at night he dreamed of it when he wasn't dreaming of escaping back to his brothers. He wasn't close to beating Sephiroth but with each passing day he and his mysterious keyblade was able to fend of Sephiroth for a few more seconds.

This was all he needed to keep his hopes up for escape.

Halfway into the month he started have horrible back pains but told no one in fear of what experiments they could dream of and he could only take so much. His hope of them not finding out disappeared when he had to take off his shirt so they could do a spinal tap in order to run some tests. What they saw astounded them and made their brains start working into overdrive for something was developing under his skin on his back.

Mustachio promptly took x-rays in an attempt to figure out what was going on as he stroked his long properly groomed mustache.

Roxas merely sat on the x-ray table while he watched the scientist's crowd around the board. Roxas looked down at his sneakers while he waited for them to come talk to him about what they found. His once brilliant white shoes were now bloody and torn. They were the only thing he had from the outside world and he wasn't going to give them up just yet.

He absent mindedly scratched under his tracker on his ankle as his thoughts wandered.

After about fifteen minutes Hojo entered the room and the scientists parted to let him get a look at the x-ray. Hojo let out a chuckle that evolved into full out laughter. The scientists just looked at him like he was crazy. Finally after he was done he walked over to Roxas and firmly patted him on the back.

Roxas bit his lip in pain from the hard pats on the irritated area.

"Oh Roxas you would do this wouldn't you." Hojo said sounding like he was about to have another laugh attack.

"I would do what?" Roxas asked half heartily for over the past three months he knew enough not to get a straight answer from this man. That's why he was so surprised when he did.

"To put it quite simply Roxas, you're growing wings."

"Wait, what?"

"You would one up Sephiroth, this is just too hilarious. You are succeeding where he failed." Hojo then proceeded to laugh some while Mustachio stepped back up.

"We also noticed that your genetic structure is changing quite rapidly. It looks like your bones are becoming stronger yet lighter at the same time. Also your heart seems to be beating at twice its speed. All in all it looks like your body is preparing to be able to fly in the near future." He looked like a kid at Christmas as he said this wildly stroking his face.

The other scientists were acting like school girls all giggles and conversing with each other.

"Shouldn't they be growing on the outside and not on the inside?" Roxas asked feeling a bit overwhelmed by the news though he had gotten a bit used to the unexpected.

Hojo had long since recovered and answered, "We're not quite sure on the linguistics of that but they will soon burst out and continue growing on the outside. By my estimates it they should be full grown in a week or so."

"What are your estimates based on exactly?" Roxas dryly asked gripping his seat tighter.

"Sephiroth's data and the how much they have grown so far of course. Unlike you Roxas, I do my homework. Now why don't you and I go visit Howard and we can go do some more tests to see how else your body is changing?" Hojo gripped his shoulder and led him out of the room, smiling all the way as the rest of the scientists watched them go.

Roxas followed dutifully along ignoring the hungry faces leering after him.

He had to escape soon, he didn't have much time left.


	6. Chapter 6

"One more week, just one more week," Roxas thought over and over again as his will fought his body. He had been swimming for he didn't know how long and his body was rebelling against him piece by piece. This was the fifth time that he had been in this damned tank, the fifth bloody time and each time seemed worse than the last.

It seemed to be just a empty room filled with water that was twenty feet deep with a series of glass panels surrounding the highest part of the perimeter allowing the scientists to peer down at him with their eyes glinting maliciously.

There was no clock or windows to calculate the time in this pool causing Roxas to feel like he was in a dream. Slick sides surrounded him with no chance of purchase that would allow for a quick breather either. His lungs fought for breath every second as his head dunked under the water for yet another time making his bangs stick to his forehead.

Once he surfaced, he looked towards the panels where the scientists were watching him where in particular the Beast was there with his smile growing with each second. Roxas shot him a glare that went unappreciated as the Beast just continued watching him unfazed by the hatred in the blond's eyes.

Roxas started once more to tread water as his mind mulled over things. In one week Sephiroth would be gone on a mission and he would be able to escape without anything in his way. He had planned it to perfection. He had all the scientists schedules pinned down to the dot and he knew the escape route like it was his old high school.

Without warning, a cramp clutched at his leg causing him to sink a few feet in the water before he sputtered up once more. His damn tracker weighed down his ankle in an annoying manner that made Roxas want to chew his leg off like a fox stuck in a trap.

The thought of finally being rid of it in a week was enough to make him smile even in this dank situation. This pleasant thought was soon cut short when stabbing pain ripped through his back like a chainsaw. It felt like someone was taking a hot rod and stabbing it repeatedly into him whilst twisting it this way and that in some sort of branding ritual that was saved for the worst prisoners.

The water went over his head but it went unnoticed as he clutched his back in agony. He felt muscles he had never used before clench and writhe from the pain or something else that couldn't be explained. He never had known this pain before; it caused his will to break and a scream bubble up and exploded out of his mouth. Water filled his lungs as he struggled under water and bubbles rose up from his cries of anguish.

Fighting for consciousness and against the pain, he pushed his head above the water and gasped for breath with Olympian effort. He locked eyes with the Beast as he squirmed from the pure unadulterated hurt and the threat of drowning. More screams and roars of pain rocked through his entire being as the thoughts of dying shot through his head.

But there he stayed, waiting for death or rescue, he didn't know.

They left him in that tank struggling to survive for another half an hour before they got him out.

* * *

The day had passed and Roxas was in his room/prison with a bandaged up back and two new additions to his limbs. Jet black wings shot out from beneath his shoulder bones and were folded on his back with feathers fluffed up from the ache that continue to reside within him.

Roxas had been blacked out for most of the time after they got him out of the tank but from what he remembered wasn't particularly all that great.

* * *

"_How could you let him stay in there so long in there after you realized what was happening?" Roxas could hear Hojo yell. "We could have lost the most valuable asset to this institute and that would have been on your head."_

"_We needed to see how the experiment would end, we got him out when we saw he was about to die like any other time." Roxas recognized the voice as the Beasts. _

_Roxas felt himself roll over onto his stomach. Another ricochet of pain shot through his body causing him to clench up. He felt hands all over him but couldn't tell what they were doing from all the pain._

"_The wings are trying to emerge but are having difficulty." A wheezing scientist exclaimed "Were going to have to cut them out to save them and the patient."_

"_Yes cut them out! Get them the fuck out of me and STOP THE PAIN!" Roxas shouted in his head as another tremor of pain shot through him. _

"_It seems we have no choice, scalpel." _

_A twinge of pain was felt at the tip of spine but Roxas was long passed caring. A huge pressure was released and something sprang out of back. He dimly felt it occur but it seemed to be happening to someone else and not him and he was just observing._

_The same happened to his other side. A crashing was heard as the limb that extended out crashed into a cart. The pain subsided into just an ache and Roxas sighed in ecstasy as the pain decreased tremendously. _

"_The bleeding has increased Hojo." Unibrow man clearly said._

"_We have to staunch it or all these weeks of hard work will have been for nothing, someone pass me the bandages and….." Roxas felt blackness envelope as his head swam from all the blood loss. When he awoke he was on his stomach on his bed._

* * *

Roxas sat on his bed and craned his neck to take a look at the curious appendages that had seemingly appeared out nowhere. He moved them gingerly waiting for any sign of pain to tell him to stop.

The muscles ached and seemed to creak from the simple movement of up and down but thankfully only the feeling of soreness was acknowledged. It was the strangest sensation to move them for he now had six moveable limbs but it was easy enough, almost instinctual.

Seeing that the pain wasn't too bad he got up and moved to the middle of the room and extended the wings to their fullest capacity. Using just his eyes, Roxas estimated they were about ten feet across from wing tip to wing tip. He flapped them experimentally up and down once more and was surprised that the weight was nearly as bad as he expected, it wasn't even bad, it felt as if they had been there his entire life.

When he folded them on his back, they retracted an amazing amount that he didn't expect at all. He tested it out and he could fit a shirt over it without a bulge being overly visible.

He wondered if he could really fly one day. This thought made him smile a bit for who doesn't want to fly. The scientists would inform him later that they weren't fully grown and would get bigger yet to the point that yes, flight could be possible.

Roxas lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling as he repeated once more to himself. "Just six more days, just six more days, Just six…."

* * *

"So you have wings Roxas, that is quite interesting isn't it?" Sephiroth yelled as he slammed his Masamune on the ground barely missing Roxas as the blond dodged the blow a mille second ealer with the ease that can only come from unrelenting practice.

The gym they sparred in showed recent damage accumulated in the short span of an hour due to Sephiroth's unrelenting rage.

"You succeeded where I failed, I guess that makes you my living legacy!" he roared and finished with laughter that rang hollow and echoed off the walls causing Roxas to shiver internally.

The silver haired man glided forward and brought the blunt end of the long sword into Roxas' gut but before Sephiroth could react, Roxas had swung the keyblade into Sephiroth's shoulder sending them both flying in opposite direction.

Roxas lungs gasped for air that the hilt had driven out of them while at the opposite end Sephiroth rubbed his shoulder with a rough hand as he stood back up. He glared with such hatred at Roxas it seemed that there was fire in his eyes as untold injustices were left unsaid.

"Isn't life interesting like that Roxas, we survive but yet are we really alive?" Sephiroth almost howled as he tilted his head in such a way it made Roxas feel as if he was in a horror film.

Sephiroth's single wing extended menacingly as he jumped to the air with such height it seemed impossible for a mere man to achieve. Roxas merely extended his wings hesitantly but stayed on the ground out of fear of what was going on with Sephiroth, the man that had seemed to have an ice cold demeanor was slowly cracking before his eyes. He had never seen him this way for usually when they sparred, minus that one time; he kept a calm cool nature where nothing seemed to faze him.

Roxas for a second thought back bitterly that Hojo must have expected this the way he laughed when they found out about his wings.

Once Sephiroth reached the maximum height that ceiling allowed he dove forward, his sword straight out as if to skewer Roxas. Keyblade in hand , Roxas defended himself by sidestepping and swinging the blade against the long silver blade. The weapons clang resonated as the two bodies seemed suspended by strings for a second.

Landing lightly on the ground, their weapons still together, Sephiroth brought his huge sword back with surprising speed and swung again barely missing Roxas' head as the blond rose his keyblade to defend himself. The blow though sent Roxas through the air with enough force to slam into the way, his wings splayed out on both sides of him akwardly.

Glowering down at him, Sephiroth brought his sword over his head and brought it down towards Roxas' stomach. A well timed side roll was the only thing that saved the blond from becoming a well skewered kabob.

Sephiroth brought his long sword up again but before he could bring it down once more, Roxas recovered and darted underneath the Masamune and brought his keyblade into Sephiroth's gut knocking the wind out of him not unlike how the man had done to him in the start of the match.

Not slowing down, Roxas started to wail on his mentor's body until he was flung backwards by a swipe of a powerful hand by Sephiroth. Roxas flew backwards until he made contact with one of the gyms walls where he crashed into it hard leaving an imprint once he fell to the floor. Spitting out blood, Roxas struggled to stand up and prepare for the next onslaught that was sure to come.

The One Winged Angel stood on the far side of the gym and looked at him with hatred, revulsion and disgust along with a mix of emotions peppered in to create a truly terrifying effect.

"We're done." And with that Sephiroth walked out.

Roxas just sat there and gaped at what just happened. Looking down at his hand he watched his keyblade fade into sparks as it disappeared to almost resolutely show the battle was indeed over.

Standing back up, Roxas brought in his flustered wings and walked out where a Military Recruit stared awe at what just transpired as he passed.

Roxas didn't look back once.

* * *

Roxas paced in his room as he waited impatiently for the final hour to arrive. His tennis shoes squeaked on the linoleum at each turn he made. A week had finally passed and tonight was the night, the night he was going to get out of this damn place, get to Normandy City and find his family and end this fucking nightmare.

More pacing ensued as he tried to work off his extra energy so when the time came he would be focused. Finally, running a hand through his naturally spiky hair, Roxas flopped down on his bed to sit while absent mindedly scratching at the skin under his tracker. He would be happy when he got rid of the damned this for the itching that it caused when it rubbed against his skin made him want itch till all he was left with was a bloody stump for a leg.

His wings were fluffed up from anxiety causing the black T-shirt that covered them to rumple up in the back awkwardly. Trying to calm himself down, Roxas looked out his small window and slowly let the breath he had been holding out.

"You can do this, you have done all you can," Roxas thought to himself and his feathers settled down as he repeated this mantra in his head. Roxas settled himself more comfortably on his bed as he started his vigilant.

Time passed and Roxas eyes were honed on his small window while he waited with the patience of a trained sniper. Finally, the thin wiry form of the dubbed Nail Biting man walked pass on his way to go find some company on the internet.

Roxas allowed himself to smile as he stood up with purpose, it was time, his time.

Summoning his keyblade, he drove it into the tracker device strapped onto his ankle repeatedly and watched the sparks fly from each successive hit. He knew that the man that monitored it at this time was calling his mom like every Tuesday night at this time so he didn't need to worry about his tipping anyone off until an hour had passed.

After a couple hard hits it fell off and landed on the ground with a thwack where it flashed a couple of times until it went died off.

Roxas kicked it under his bed in disgust before striding over to his door. With a grunt he stabbed his keyblade at the window again and again until finally the pressure was too much and the spreading cracks gave way. Glass shattered and fell on both sides of the door with the slight tinkling as it hit the ground.

Without pausing to brush off the glass, Roxas stuck his arm through the window and unlocked the door.

The door swung open easily and he quickly stepped into the stealth mode that he had honed through hours of practice with the military. Checking the perimeter of the hallway that he had walked so many times, his fears were waylaid when it was indeed just an empty hallway and he could move onward. The map was laid out in his head and he started to the right staying close to the wall in case anyone unexpected came by.

The linoleum stretched out in front of him as he passed the windows that marked the beginning of his journey. They had long gone silent so no fellow prisoners could be seen getting tortured, just clean sterile rooms were shown. Roxas had often wondered what had become of those people or where they had come from but he never learned anything about them but a night didn't go by when he didn't think about them once.

Turning right, Roxas saw the hallway that haunted his nightmares before him. The hallway that the Beast always led him into for either pain tolerance tests, the water tank, or anything else his sick mind could think of that they would need to test. Holding back the need to destroy this place Roxas moved onward to the end where an air conditioning vent awaited him. Popping it off quietly, Roxas crawled in and made slow progress forward while he inched his way toward a room that would be inaccessible if he had walked because of a poorly planned poker game.

Reaching the end of the square tunnel, Roxas cracked open the vent and slid himself out, careful to observe if anymore scientists changed their schedule last minute. Creeping forward he turned the corner carefully to observe the security guard who was in a room he had to pass by.

This security guard at 1:00am always fell asleep without fail, it was only due to gossiping among some young recruits did Roxas eve happen to come upon this information.

Roxas waited and watched and in just a few minutes he was rewarded when the security guard dipped his head and started to snore quite loudly. Crouching, Roxas darted forward until he was under the security guards window. Making sure he was under it all the way just in case the guard woke up, he slowly eased forwards along. He was in the middle under the window when what felt like an earthquake shook the building that was accompanied by a loud boom.

Roxas flinched and stayed perfectly still expecting the guard to wake up at any point. A minute passed before Roxas let his breath that he had been holding out in relief, that is, until the alarm went off.

Roxas let out a string of curses as he heard the security guard wake up with a start.

"Huh, what the fuck!" The security guard cursed loudly as he struggled to maintain his sitting position and not fall over.

"Calvin…do you copy, we have code red in sector C..I repeat we have Code Red in Sector C!" The eruption of static accompanied the broadcast loudly as the man's voice cried out.

Roxas thought for moment until he realized Code Red meant a fire had broken out and he believed Sector C held the research facility but before he could contemplate what that could all mean he heard the Security Guard run out of the room and down the hallway without noticing Roxas slinking below the window.

Without waiting any long, and with the alarm was still sounding, Roxas slipped into the security room that the guard had left conveniently left open.

Looking at the security cameras he saw Sector C on fire and it was spreading at an alarming rate. Before he could check more he heard running come down the hallway. Roxas dove downward and waited for it to pass. This served as a wakeup call for Roxas for he knew more scientists would pass by soon as the alarm spread so he left the room in a brisk pace towards the stairwell he needed to get to.

Heading north and keeping to the shadows, Roxas heard a herd of people running towards where he was at. Thinking fast, Roxas stepped into a broom closet while the scientists, in a panic, ran by to the exit. A well timed explosion caught them off guard causing some to fall forward on their faces. Once they passed Roxas made his way to the stair well that was down the next hallway. Seeing the door he stepped out of the shadows and ran towards.

"Thought you could escape with your little diversion didn't you?" Roxas turned around to find the one and only Beast who was wielding a pistol crazily in his right hand, "And to think I thought you were smart, well we have invested too much time in money in you to let you go little birdie, you are the accumulation of what we here at the institute have worked for, for years." He lifted the pistol and aimed for Roxas' legs to successfully maim him.

"You can forget that you Bastard, you have no idea how long I have waited for this," Roxas spat. He flitted to the side as a shot rang out and rushed forward hoping to overpower the man before another shot could be fired.

Summoning the keyblade he raised it and brought it down on the crazed scientists head but he was a second too late. Another shot was fired and it hit Roxas square in the shoulder. Blood spurted out as Roxas let out a yelp but he powered through and continued his swing and a crack was heard as the keyblade made contact with the man he so dearly hated head.

The man crumpled to the ground as blood seeped from the wound on his skull and leaked into a pool around his head like a horrifying halo. Bubbles though appeared in the blood as the cursed mans breathed in and out proving that he still lived, Roxas didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing but he didn't have long to think about it.

Grasping his shoulder, Roxas quickly tore off part of the Beasts shirt and staunched the blood flow as much as he could and did his best to dress the wound with the time he had as another explosion rocked the building stirring him forward. Passing the Beast he entered the door and walked up the stairs and entered the roof. Rain was pouring down and seemed to becoming sideways form the wind but it did nothing to stop the spreading fire on the institute.

Roxas could feel the heat radiate off of it in waves and seemed to be heading towards the sector he was currently standing on.

He didn't have a moment to lose.

Roxas stepped towards the edge of the roof and saw the high fence that surrounded the institute, the same fence he had wished would blow up every day, a bit ironic now. This was the hardest part of his plan for Roxas had to successfully glide across the threshold long enough to get over the fence and to his freedom.

His blond hair was plastered to his face from the downpour; breathing hard Roxas took the steps backward that would lead to him becoming free. He stopped and closed his eyes prepare himself mentally and physically. It felt as if the rain was washing the pain and aches that this place had left on him after three months. There was another blast of heat from further detonations that spurred him onward and out of his daze.

His tennis shoes slapped the roof hard and splashes of water punctuated his every foot fall. Hitting the edge hard he pushed off with all his might and unfurled his wings to their utmost capability. His thirteen foot wingspan hit the air and by angling his body he was gliding across the expanse with little difficulty even from the rain and wind. It was a close call but he made it and hit the ground hard on the other side causing mud to fly up and cover his feet and arms but it was quickly washed off by the rain.

Without looking back he took off running into the woods.


	7. Chapter 7

The rain quickly soaked Roxas to the bone as he wandered farther and farther from the burning building that for the last couple of months had been his own personal Hell. Yes, that diversion almost caused him to almost fail but now that he was out the building it was distracting the scientists and military long enough for him to get far away or at least he hoped for it could also alert them that he was missing earlier than he would have liked.

It was anyone's guess as to which one would happen, he just hoped for the former.

Mud splashed his legs as he ran forward staining his pants in the process but Roxas couldn't have cared less. He was so intent on getting as far away as possible he didn't see the trap protruding from the ground in his direct path. The trap was designed to look like a classic bear trap with a much more sinister way of trapping its prey than one could have ever guessed by merely glancing at the device.

And this was to become all too clear to the fugitive as his ill-fated leg stepped into it causing it to snap shut.

The shock caused Roxas not to feel the pain at first allowing him stare almost dumbly at the contraption that had halted his trek in confusion. A split second later though his entire body went limp and he fell onto the ground with a thud punctuated by muck flying up around him. He didn't know it, but the trap had injected barbs into his trapped limb the moment it had snapped shut and had sent out a wave ceasing all muscle function.

Roxas brain though was not turned off as it went into overdrive; there was no way he was going have it end like this, with him lying there with the rain down pouring on him. But even with all his energy focused on moving his limbs, all he succeeded in doing was moving his fingers and that was just a twitching motion.

After these futile attempts were made, Roxas closed his eyes and made a try once more and actually succeeded in moving his hand when a pair of arms entered his field of vision. The two hands cracked the trap open ending the connection to his limp as the barbs were ripped out. Once the bond was lost and barbs unhooked, feeling returned almost immediately allowing him movement once more.

Roxas pulled his leg out before the trap could close again and crawled backwards away from it feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise from the fear of what had almost happened.

His gaze wandered up to see a tall man with fiery red hair bending over him with his stunning emerald eyes peering into him. The man's hand reached out suddenly to grab Roxas' hand and hauled him up into a standing position before the blond could react.

"C'mon we got to go now or we're going to get caught!" The man said urgently as he pulled on Roxas' arm to get him to run. Roxas complied but when he later thought back on this he couldn't figure out what compelled him to trust this man.

The rain continued to pour and the light from the fire burning the institute eventually dimmed putting the two strangers in near darkness. Roxas had training to deal with these kinds of condition from the military where he was put into a pitch black maze and told not to touch the walls lest he would be given an electric shock. Didn't take that long before Roxas adapted to it.

The man in front of him had no problem at all either it seemed so Roxas just listened to where the man went and followed his faint outline so it wasn't that big of issue, he still stumbled over tree roots but as for running full on to tree he didn't do that.

By the time they stopped to rest in a clearing, it had stopped raining and the sun had thankfully started to rise.

"Aww phew, I'm glad that worked out so nicely." The red haired man commented this lightly as he leaned up against the tree with his arms folded crossly over his chest. His green eyes gazed at Roxas and a smirk lay on his face naturally. Now that Roxas had some light to use and they were taking a break from running, he could get a good look at this man.

He had on dark clothing, dark pants, dark shirt, and what looked like a dark trench coat opened nonchalantly so it just hung on his shoulders and arms as well as a small backpack slung on his back.

He was quite tall, a full head taller then himself but quite gangly for his height. He also had angular features and the reddest hair he had ever seen. Kairi's was no match to the extreme redness that this man sported.

Overal everything screamed stranger as if it couldn't be anymore cliché.

"Hellloo earth to Blondie, are you still in there," the man questioned with a light teasing tone, the smirk still laying on his face as if he was amused with the entire situation.

Roxas just stared at him further for a second before he recovered and blubbered out, "Oh sorry, uh, I guess I should thank you for helping me out there." Roxas felt the sentence ring in his ears as the reaction to talking to someone who didn't want to stick him with a needle overcame him for a second.

"No problem, the least I could do seeing I blew up the place." The entire time the man reported this he merely rose a single eyebrow.

"You...WHAT!" Roxas couldn't help but yell abruptly as closed both hands into fists.

"Blew up the place, geeze got some earwax built up I see." The man said as she shook his head and shrugged.

Roxas lunged at the same time his keyblade materialized in his hand. The Man stepped back in surprise missing the blade by mere centimeters as the blade sank into the tree he had just been leaning against.

"Because of you, I got SHOT and almost got CAUGHT!"Roxas basically snarled as he pulled his keyblade out of the tree spreading splinters of wood everywhere and took yet another swipe towards the stranger this time hitting him in the side. The man seemed unperturbed and suddenly took a swing at Roxas faster than the blond expected and clipped him on the chin with the man's fist.

Roxas took a step back and rubbed his jaw as he glared at the red haired man taking on the fact this man might be more of an opponent than he had first considered.

Shaking his hand out the Man commented, "Whoa, whoa, calm down there Blondie, look I didn't know you were trying to get out the night that I had to raid the place ok?" He held up his hands in mock surrender almost condescendingly.

Roxas let his gaze drop as his keyblade drifted away in a flash of light. His shoulder ached from the activity causing him to clutch at it and looking at it he saw some red spotting show up on his damp bandaging that he just realized smelled horribly. Stepping to an angle he did his best to hide his showing injury to the potential danger that stood in front of him.

"You said you got shot, want me to help? I got some bandages." To reinforce his point he took some out of the bag he had and waved them around merrily. "But first you have to tell me your name, and then I'll help."

His shoulder let out a sting as if to hurry him along but Roxas only felt ashamed that he had let that part on in his fit. He fidgeted around as he tried to decide whether or not to tell this man his name, finally in the end he figured that it wouldn't hurt. Name or no name, the man wouldn't be able to stop him in the end.

"Fine, it's Roxas."

"Ok Rucksack, names Axel, got it memorized?" Axel reported as he pointed to his head to reinforce his point on memorizing. "All right let's see the damage." Without waiting for Roxas to respond, head headed over to the blond. "I'm assuming it's on your shoulder from the way your clutching at it so take off your sweat shirt and shirt off so we can get you feeling better."

"It's Rox-as, not rucksack," Roxas almost growled as he reluctantly took off his T-shirt and Sweatshirt. He heard Axel whistle appreciably but he ignored it.

"Looks like that place worked you good Roxas, and luckily for you the shot only clipped you so it should be a quick uhh... whoa what are those?" Axel asked as he pointed awkwardly at Roxas' sullen wings but before Roxas could react Axel was behind him touching them making odd sounds of curiosity.

"Hey, personal bubble!" Roxas responded hastily as he pulled away rounding on the very strange man that had happened upon him in the nick of time.

"Wow, never seen a Nobody with enhancements like that. You're either a lucky son of a bitch or the complete opposite, I wonder which it is?" Axel contemplated as he rubbed his chin in thought. Seeing Roxas glaring at him Axel started "Oh yeah, the shoulder c'mere, let me get at it." With great finesse he took off Roxas amateur attempt at binding and in its place put a tight weave on that supported and settled the wound down.

After that was finished Axel plopped down on a dry spot under a tree and pulled his pack over to himself and stuck the remaining bandage back in and started to rummage through the contents. Roxas watched with interest as he stuck his shirt and sweatshirt back on over his tucked in wings, wondering what Axel would do next to surprise him. He would stick around for as long as the possibility that this man could help him but if that blew over, he was out of there.

In the end he couldn't brush off the fact this was the first almost normal human contact he had gotten in a long time.

"Ah here we go, have a seat Roxas and before we go further we should eat something and discuss what I'm going to do with you."

"You're not going to do anything with me, I have my own goals that I need to do." But Roxas still sat down, he could smell food and he was hungry.

Roxas was not disappointed for a cry of success was heard from Axel's mouth as he pulled out two sandwiches that appeared to be turkey. Roxas mouth involuntarily started to water, he hadn't had real food sense the morning of the explosion at Normandy. The scientist usually fed him through tubes or at the military branch protein filled supplements; all in all it was not a very filling experience.

Roxas reached for one but Axel drew it back tauntingly.

"First Roxas things first Roxas." Axel drawled as he waved his finger at him. "What were you doing at the Institute anyways; I doubt it was for laughs and giggles considering your condition."

Roxas sat back on his butt and stared at Axel with a grimace on his face.

This man might have saved him from recapture but he also was the cause of him almost being caught so to Roxas they canceled each other out. But still, seeing that sandwich made Roxas' stomach growl in protest, so in the end Roxas tried to be as vague as possible while still giving Axel an answer that would earn him a sandwich. The thought did cross his mind of just taking the sandwich and running but he felt in his gut that this man could help him get to his goal.

"I wasn't there on my own free will if that's your question. I got experimented on, and trained that's it, I wanted out so I got out, that's it." Finishing that up he quickly lunged for a sandwich but once more failed at retrieving it as the red head pulled it away once more causing Roxas to let out a growl.

"Next question, what are you going to do now that you're out?" Axel asked looking at Roxas intently.

Roxas looked back at Axel wondering if he should tell the truth or lie as he suppressed another growl from his mouth and stomach. Axel kept staring at him as he pondered his choices. He pulled in his wings tighter and looked down and away feeling shy all of a sudden from the intensity of the stare.

"I want to go to Normandy City and find my family." Roxas let on quietly despite the ferocity that the words were said with.

All was still for a few minutes as Axel took in what he just said. His features softened for a split second but were replaced by a smile.

"Here Roxas."

Roxas looked up to see Axel offering the sandwich. He quickly it took just in case Axel changed his mind. The first bite was amazing; the savory meat with the moist bread was the best thing Roxas had ever eaten before and he quickly polished it off.

"Ok Roxas I have an offer for you, you don't have to say yes and after I'm done we can part ways if you want. I am going to Normandy City as well, I am part of a resistance group, I'm going to stop you right there, no I cannot tell you anymore than that about it. We can go together for I know how to get into the city undetected." Axel said clearly without any hint of joking now, "You seem like you could have some useful information since you came from the institute and maybe if you help us, we could help you find your family." Finishing that up Axel once again stared intently at Roxas.

Roxas curled his hand into the dirt as he processed the offer. The scientists didn't mention the city much but from what he recalled Normandy was on lockdown from the heartless in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus. The Military branch confirmed it for he heard about recruits being sent there to guard the underground tunnels and the bridges. Roxas knew he had to get in and if Axel could let him in then why not.

The only thing that held him back was the thought of being tied down, sure they "might" help him find his family but that also came at the expense of giving them information, and that was only if Axel was telling the truth.

'Fuck that, they can't make me help anyone, I'll get what I want to find Cloud and Sora and ditch.' Roxas thought bitterly to himself.

"Ok Axel, you have a deal."

"Good, if you left I would have missed you too much." Axel joked. "Do you feel ready to set out again; Normandy is about a day's walk from here."

Now that his shoulder felt better Roxas felt reinvigorated so he nodded. He steadied himself as he stood and stretched, extending his arms to their full extent. By the time he was done Axel had cleaned up their tracks. A smirk was on his face as he gestured to the way they would go and started to walk. Roxas followed, he was on his way.

'I'm coming Sora, Cloud, don't worry.'

* * *

Last chapter for a while, gotta make sure each chapter is up to par with my standards, so please review and I will work faster.


	8. Chapter 8

They day wore on as the two walked on emerging, from what seemed like the never-ending forest to Roxas, onto a paved road that lead onward.

The road itself wasn't all that special but the weird thing was that it had no cars on it at all, no traffic, no nothing. Upon further investigation Roxas learned from Axel that the military had closed off all major roads to and from Normandy City to further deter people from coming near it. Hearing this Roxas, once again thought on what he was going to have to face to find his family if Normandy City really was this bad.

With this news sitting in Roxas' stomach, they walked on without speaking again until Axel decided to break the silence.

"Sooo, now that I know you have wings, can you fly?" Axel probed looking at Roxas with an inquisitive look on his face.

Not answering right away, Roxas looking at the red head out of the corner of his eye trying to sense any agenda in the man but could see nothing but curiosity which took him aback. Sighing he finally answered.

"No, they were going to start trying to teach me, but I escaped before they did." Roxas shrugged sticking his hands in his pockets, "I can glide pretty well but as for taking off and actually flying, I think that's going to have to wait till I get time to practice." Roxas knew he would have to learn how to fly at some point and time but for now he was just trying to concentrate on one thing at a time, like not dying, and that did not include jumping around and flapping his wings looking like an idiot.

Axel nodded, accepting the answer without inquiry, as he put his hands behind his head and walked on. Roxas turned his head and looked at Axel with a confused look on his face for he had expected a barrage of questions to be thrown his way. Seeing that Axel had stopped the conversation at that point surprised him.

More and more Axel astounded him with how he acted and behaved, it made Roxas feel a bit unsettled as he had to remind himself not everyone was a scientest. Suddenly a question popped into his head and before he could stop himself Roxas found himself asking it.

"Axel, are you a Nobody?"

Axel turned his head, a sarcastic grin lying on his face."Yeah I am, how could you tell?"

"You come from Normandy City, and you're not a Heartless." Roxas said bluntly before continuing, "What are your abilities?" Roxas asked his curiosity getting the best of him. He stuffed his hands into his hoodie as he waited for the answer which didn't take very long at all.

Axel started to laugh loudly at the question instead of answering causing Roxas to shoot him a weird stare in the process.

"Wow, you just come right out and say things don't you." Seeing the weird look that Roxas was shooting him Axel waved his hand about as he stifled his grin and continued on."All right, I'm a pyro boy. I got the power of the flames."

To emphasize his point he snapped his fingers causing a bout of fire to spout out. It waved in the wind as they walked forward and Roxas could only stare slightly slack jawed. The ability to control and summon fire blew his mind more so than flying and summoning weapons could for some reason, the death and destruction someone could bring harboring such a power just made him amazed.

Axel waved it away and continued on "Yep, it started happening about a week after I was exposed to the virus, it's what helped me survive against the Heartless until they found me. Granted I almost blew myself and a few of my friends up in the process but eh, live and learn right?"

"Who found you?" Roxas asked looking down at the ground as he asked not wanting to look the man in the face. Asking that had brought back memories of who had found him that fateful day. He never had found out the name of the general who had led the brigade but for now he would settle learning who had found Axel.

Axel in turn rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm not sure I can tell you, not until I get the ok from everyone that you're not one of them. Don't give me that look; you have to know you look suspicious coming from the facility the night I just happen to bomb it. I trust you, as weird as that sounds, I do, but I gotta follow protocol."

Roxas understood and felt and odd feeling his chest when Axel said he trusted him but he pushed it off for another question that was nagging him inside his brain. "So that's how you blew up the place, with your ability not bombs." Roxas reasoned smiling internally at the connection.

"Straight on the mark Blondie, yeah I met some resistance but just had to hmm 'negotiate' with them and they saw my way in no time." Axel explained as another smirk appeared on his face. "It never gets old taking care of assholes."

That last comment caused Roxas to smile a moment but then he looked away for a second and then back at Axel as the question he needed to know the most bubbled up. "Just how bad is Normandy City and are there a lot of survivors?"

Axels face turned down and a frown could be seen. "It's bad Roxas, I know you want to find your family but it's bad. We're almost to a lookout point, so you will see some of the damage." And without saying more he walked on and no more prodding would get any more out of him.

The day passed uneventfully as they followed the barren road to their destination. They stopped for a water and food break once but that was it, the sun was high in the sky when they reached the outlook that Axel had mentioned earlier.

Seeing the sign that stated "Normandy Picture Spot" that was once where people took pictures with their family when they visited Normandy City made Roxas' stomach flip. Where it once had been bright and green it was now barely there but it wasn't worn away enough for Roxas to misinterpret what it said.

Roxas picked up his pace passing Axel who shot him a worried glance but the blond continued on until he reached the spot. The wind picked up and blew ominously as he got his first view of Normandy City in so many months.

Once his brain caught up with his eyes his face became stricken and his shoulders visibly slackened.

"It looks like it's dead." Roxas commented depressingly. And it was true the city looked down right dead, usually moving cars could be seen but no movement could be seen except for the lazy boat floating on the water the helicopter flying far away. No hustle and bustle was heard either except for the wind blowing through the trees lining the hill.

"Not dead, dying, but we're going to make sure no one dies because of what's inside it. You'll see." Axel said as he patted Roxas and stood next to him for a moment. "C'mon, we're on a tight schedule so no time to dilly dally." Axel said as he finished up soaking in the scene and started down the hill towards the water that came off the ocean to surround the dying city.

Roxas didn't start after him right away, the scene before him was taking him a moment to register. From here he could see the Tesser building and his school but both seemed to be only half of what it used to be, caught in the explosion perhaps.

All of it seemed like it wasn't real, like he was just looking at a picture and not reality. Back at the institute he could pretend that it was all a lie and that when he escaped all would go back to normal somehow but at this moment he knew that nothing would ever be "normal" again. Taking one last look at the island that was his city he slid down the hill and caught up with Axel.

"I thought that the military had all entrances and exits blocked?" Roxas asked as he slid next up to Axel who was carefully picking his path down the slick hill.

"They think they do but luckily for us they missed one, it's not the most glamorous way but it gets the job done." Axel said as he maneuvered his way through a wall of bushes that was in his way. Roxas grimaced at the thought of what the way entailed. Knowing the kind of entrances a huge military super power could possibly miss didn't hold well.

They walked onward until they came to a manhole cover outside the water surrounding the barren city.

"It's a sewage tunnel but it's the best we have to work with right now so let's venture where no man would ever want to go." Roxas felt a shiver ricochet through his body even though the sun was shining down warmly upon them. His eyes soaked in the darkness of the pitch black tunnel and he started to a take a step back but caught himself and instead planted it firmly into the ground to prevent it from straying again.

Something about it gave him an uneasy feeling like when you're a little kid and you swear you saw that shadow move in the corner of your room move towards your bed.

"C'mon no use in hanging around here thinking about it, nothing ventured, nothing gained right?" Axel said trying to keep his own disgusted tone from creeping in before promptly jumped into the opening without another word. Roxas heard him hit the ground soon after so he knew that the drop wasn't as big as he initially feared.

Looking at the sky one more time trying to still the growing unease in his gut, but soon after Roxas followed after hesitantly hoping that this trek through the sewers wouldn't take that long.

Roxas hit the ground hard and felt slime and other unappealing sensations in the darkness as he stood up. He blundered around until he hit a wall and then he felt even more of the mysterious substances coat his hands. With a grunt of annoyance he shook his hands out and wiped them on his jeans as he caught up to walk behind Axel.

Hearing Roxas behind him, Axel snapped his fingers and a flame spouted out lighting the tunnel up with an almost warm glow.

Roxas looked around as they walked and saw the tunnel reflect the light with a soft coating giving the substances that coated a shimmering quality like mucous. The walls rounded overhead and were about ten feet high in diameter and height so they weren't too small to make him feel claustrophobic. These walls were also coated in some unknown substance that he didn't want to think about while they were still in said tunnel.

They continued on at a steady pace and the light coming from Axels hand allowed the two Nobodies to navigate the unappealing terrain with little trouble. The sound of their shoes hitting the wet ground was their only company.

This ensued in silence until Axel decided to break the silence in an attempt to divert their attention from their surroundings to his unique story. "Hey Roxas, want to hear a weird story?"

Roxas, who was at the time trying to focus on Axels back in an attempt to block out his surrounding, gave a shrug showing he didn't really care either way.

Axel didn't seem to mind and took off running with the story. "Heh you're going to love this, you see there was this one time with this prostitute and she had like twenty softballs shoved up her…"

Roxas was only half listening to Axel for the cramped quarters were beginning to get to him besides his best attempts to let them not; he longed to stretch his wings out and feel the sun soak into them until warmth radiated from them in waves.

Axel, on the other hand, continued on with his story obliviously to the blonds discomfort but stopped short when he heard the Roxas' footsteps behind him stop suddenly.

"Roxas?"

As Axel turned around he knew something was wrong almost immediately. Roxas had the queerest expression on as his face and as he took this in the teenager's body started to tremble softly. Then with a wretch the blond clasped his head and ground his teeth in an attempt that could only be described as trying not to scream.

Roxas!" Axel basically gasped as he started back to him.

Roxas was now on his knees as he grabbed at his head in a frail attempt to stop what was happening. It fell like someone was opening his head up with a pair of dirty pliers but were going about so painfully slowly. He dimly thought in the back of his head that since he had already been through so much pain already this shouldn't faze him like this.

That thought was quickly pushed aside when what felt like another pull of the pliers caused his head to open more. He kept expecting to feel brain matter leaking through his fingers as he clutched helplessly at his head attempting to will away the pain.

Axel was now on eye level with Roxas and put his hands on his shoulders trying to help in any way he could which wasn't much.

"Shit" Axel pulled out his phone and saw the time. They only had so much and they had to get going or the consequences would be dire.

"Hey, we got to go." He heaved the blonde up to a standing position feeling like a major dick in the process and maneuvered the blond onto his back into a piggy back position and started forward.

Roxas shoved his face into Axels' back as the pain stabbed between his eyes with a staggering force. Roxas didn't know what was happening to him and the thoughts of what might be happening unnerved him. The brief thought that were able to push through the haze of pain consisted of what the scientists or military might have done to him when he was unaware to make this occur.

The scariest thought was if his body was doing this like those gruesome X-rays he saw long ago. He pushed his face further into the back in front of him and ground his teeth in result of more pain assaulting his senses. The feeling of helplessness combined with the pain made this one of his less than prouder moments. Slowly the pain lessened to a tolerable degree and he was able to walk on his own again.

Roxas felt Axel watching him as they walked but every time he looked the Red head was looking straight ahead. He still had a headache to further remind him of what occurred but for now he was going to pretend it didn't happen for the sake of his sanity.

* * *

Finally after an hour they emerged from the tunnel out of another manhole cover and were stunned by the light that infiltrated their corneas.

"Ugh I hate when this happens" Axel exclaimed as he rubbed his eyes in an attempt to lessen the flare effect that was overtaking his eyes. Roxas did the same as he pulled up his sweatshirt enough to allow his wings to stretch out but only grumbled and didn't openly complain.

"All right now we're off to the headquarters." Sang Axel in a sing songy voice as Roxas readjusted his wings and sweatshirt back into place.

As they walked or skipped on Axels part, Roxas looked around the city he once called home.

Windows were boarded up while others were broken open revealing a torn apart home. Black stains adorned the city in patches along with rust colored ones to decorate the city in a morbid checker pattern. Roxas suspected that the rust color was blood but could only guess at the black ones as they chugged along. The buildings loomed over them and displayed their silent stories to him until he forced his head forward and peered down the road.

The street was empty except for a few busted up cars that were on the sides in disarray. People must have tried to drive out of the city when the Virus attacked but were either thwarted in their attempts or abandoned their vehicles to try and go on foot. The more he looked, the more details were pronounced that showed what had happened to the city in all its morose glory.

"Are all the Heartless wiped out?" Roxas asked mostly to himself but Axel heard and answered him promptly.

"It's not for lack of trying but no they're not, but they tend to only come out at night. That is why we have to stick to a schedule. If we don't get to the headquarters before night hits we're in big trouble but don't worry, we're doing well on time and should be there before then."

Roxas was unconvinced for the sun was already dipping close to the horizon but he didn't know how far they were away from said headquarters to make a correct assumption. As they walked onward, whenever Roxas saw a particular grisly scene that seemed to be captured in time, he felt a pang of guilt deep with him. Even though he knew it wasn't his fault, he felt accountable over not being here to help his family and friends.

This thought caused his hands to tighten into fists as the blame washed over him.

'Not anymore, I won't let that happen again, I won't let anyone down ever again,' thought Roxas fervently trying to fend off the shame.

Roxas looked up once more and saw that he could no longer see the sun over the buildings and that the sky started to show an assortment of purples and reds. Looking over to Axel did nothing to alleviate his worries for the red haired man was messing with his cell phone with great urgency.

"It says its only 4:00; the sun shouldn't be setting now!" Axel said under his breath. He then punched some buttons into the phone and dialed a number. Roxas watched intently at what unfolded next.

"Yuffie, emergency here, put Squall on the phone…no I don't care that he spit in your food give him the damn phone…Hey Squall got a bit of a problem here, No I didn't screw up anything the damn phone has the wrong time on it and I'm not going to be able to get back in time…what?..Oh…no I didn't change for daylight savings…shut up ok….ok I'll just head to an emergency bunker and wait it out so you'll see me tomorrow ok. All right let the boss know I got the package…bye." Without another word, Axel snapped his phone shut looking very much like he would like to smash the thing on the ground.

"Change of plans Roxas, we're not going to be able to get to the headquarters tonight so were going to have to head to an emergency bunker that's close by, so let get to it." Axel set off at a hurried pace not bothering to check if Roxas was following after him.

"Forgot to change for daylight savings…really?" Roxas said speechless at the bout of stupidity that had obviously hit Axel at some point of time.

Axel grumbled something incoherently and waved his hand dismissively at the blond as he walked briskly forward.

"How much time do we have until night falls?" Roxas questioned putting off his want to yell at the man to ask this hurried question.

Axel looked towards the sky in thought as he processed the questions. "I say we have about a half an hour before we have to worry about anything."

"And how long will it take us to get to this Emergency Bunker?"

"Heh, about a half an hour, it's going to be close but I think we will be ok if we hurry."

Roxas nodded and quickened his pace to match Axels.

They were going to make it, weren't they?

* * *

Dun dun, please review for if you do My heart will soar on the wings of an eagle


	9. Chapter 9

The city got darker and darker as the two Nobodies walked onward to their destination at a vigorous pace in their race against the sun. The day's nonstop journey was starting to show in them as the fatigue set in. Both of them being Nobodies meant they had increased stamina in comparison of the average adult but even with that on their side the day was taking its toll.

The taller of two also kept looking at his phone and after every concessive look started walking faster and faster as the stress settled in deeper.

"How much farther till we get there?" Roxas asked irritably as he wiped the growing sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He didn't want the first day he had escaped to end in failure at the hands of the Heartless.

Axel looked at his phone and then at the sky, which had gone almost completely dark aside from the last few streaks of purple, and started walking to the point that he was almost running. As his shoes hit the pavement he answered quickly "It's going to be close, we don't have much time and the bunker is about five blocks away from where we're at. I don't think we have a choice, Roxas we got to start running or were not going to make it before night hits."

Roxas nodded precisely and started to run after Axel, his legs ached in protest but he kept up the steady pace as the deserted buildings leered over them. Out of the corner of his eye Roxas could have sworn that he saw some shadows shift unnaturally but every time he pivoted his head to get a better look there was nothing to be seen. His tennis shoes thudded against the road as they ran and he was unhappily reminded of how many other times he was forced to run for hours on end.

He thought he should have been in better shape but the accumulation of so much stress and the wear and tear of the day's events we're dragging him down like chains.

Shaking his head in an effort to physically stop the memories from resurfacing, Roxas continued to run and kept his eyes trained ahead as the stitch in his side developed.

They were about two blocks away from the bunker when they first heard the high pitch keening sound. It reverberated inside his eardrum and immediately he was flooded with memories of when he first heard it on that fateful day, they day his whole world fell apart.

Gritting his teeth, he kept running trying not to let the panic that was engulfing his body get the better him. He had to stay strong, nothing could get to him.

Roxas saw Axel whip his heard around as they charged forward in an effort to locate the source of the noise while Roxas did the same.

They turned the corner at break neck speed and what they saw brought them to a skidding stop. Ahead of them was a force of Heartless racing towards them as the sweeping shadow engulfed the streets as the last signs of the sun disappeared. They were pouring out of the shadows of every possible angle of alleyways and every other place imaginable as they caught the scent of fresh meat, the sound of beating hearts calling to them.

The blackness that emanated from them swirled in the air as they writhed about and their yellow glowing eyes bobbed up and down with fervor.

"Damnit!" Axel swore as pulled Roxas back with him and turned around to run but even without looking he knew more Heartless were coming encouraged by the calls of their brethren. "Ok, plan C Roxas, follow me."

Roxas followed him even as his head tried in vain to catch up with what his eyes were relaying to him as Axel ran up to a building on their left that looked to be furniture store that was about twenty floors high named 'Cecil's Furniture!' As Axel went to work on the door that seemed to be glued shut Roxas watched as the events unfolded before his eyes.

The Heartless were slowly picking up speed and closing the gap between them and not only were they coming from the original side, they were coming from all over closing all possible escape routes besides the store.

"Fuck this." With a raised hand Axel summoned two chakrams and swung them down at the door with such force it sent it flying forward barely attached to its hinges allowing entry.

Only hesitating enough to grab Roxas' arm, Axel ran in swinging the blond forward so he could pivot around and close the door in a futile effort to slow the mob down. A slamming noise was heard as the Heartless ran into the door, their claws scrabbling at every wall trying to get in, it was only a matter of time before the door would give way. Luckily for Axel and Roxas the windows of the building had been boarded up long ago and were strong enough to withstand the assault, for now.

"That won't hold for long, move some furniture to reinforce it!" Roxas turned to his left and pushed a bureau while Axel pushed a cedar bookcase obstructing the door to the best of their abilities. Axel noticed a stairwell and motioned Roxas to hurry and follow him even as the roar of the Heartless grew.

"That won't hold them for long we got to get higher up on this building if we have any hopes of escape." Axel yelled back as they ran up the stairs. The sounds of the continued battering on the door spurned them faster as the adrenaline that was coursing spiked to an all time high.

"Couldn't we have just found a back entry?" Roxas cried as all his military training seemed to be washed away as they stumbled up the flight of steps.

"And get mauled by Heartless once we exit, no thanks!" Axel rebutted back practically snarling.

"Do you even have a plan?" Roxas yelled back as they ran up even more stairs to get the higher floors. The thought that they might die here in a rundown building after he had come so far was not going to happen.

"Does it look like I have one? I'm making this shit up as I go along so hurry up!" Axel yelled back equally angry as his cool seemed to break. For the first time since he met him, Roxas saw the cool demeanor of Axel falter but just for a second as resolve quickly replaced it. Axel wasn't going to give up without a fight as well.

It wasn't long before they burst out of the last door that lead to the roof where the night sky greeted them as crescent moon dangled from above.

Axel looked around, trying to find a building that was in jumping distance or a fire escape but saw no openings as if the very building was conspiring against him. The facts dawned upon them that thy were up on a twenty floor building with the only way down blocked by Heartless. He supposed they were lucky that it was too high up for the Heartless to navigate to climb the walls but with the Heartless coming up the stairwell this wasn't the most comforting thought.

"Ok, new plan we're going to have to-" Axel was cut off by the purely horrifying sound of the Heartless that had finally reached the door marked by their snarling and the sound of the claws ripping into the wood. A series of scrapes appeared in result as claws broke their way through to rip through the material as if it was merely wallpaper. It wasn't going to take long for them to burst through like a homecoming football team.

Roxas summoned his keyblade and got into attack mode while Axel summoned his chakrams in a burst of flame. The roof was about average size at least to Roxas eyes so they at least had some room to maneuver if it was necessary. It was all Roxas could do not to widen his eyes and feel like a small child in the face of overwhelming odds.

"Wait for it-" Before Axel could finish the sentence the door was finally smashed open and slew of Heartless emerged pouring out, they were in such a mad rush they were jostling each other out of the way and crawling over one another and even a few were knocked over the sides of the building to fall to their deaths. They scampered forward and launched their assault with haste as blackness emanated from them dripped from their elongated mouths and malformed limbs.

Roxas let out a yell as the Heartless bombarded him from all sides without any sort of mercy in their eyes. His keyblade whipped around as he dodged blows and smacked the Heartless down around him doing his best to keep them away from him.

This was the first time Roxas had seen Heartless this close up before for at the institute all he had seen were pictures that were taken from far away. Up close they were more terrifying then he could ever have imagined.

The blackness that surrounded them obscured their human features but from what he could see was not human at all. The bodies had transformed into husks that might have once been human and now bore the looks of something out of a H.P. Lovecraft story.

His keyblade swiped right through them without seeming to hit anything but every time he scored a hit, bouts of gushing blackness was his reward. It stung his eyes but he didn't relent on his onslaught and neither did they as Roxas did his best to sink into battle mod and now really think about what was happening.

Their teeth and claws fought to get a piece of him but he was faster than them thanks to thousands of hours he spent sparing with Sephiroth and took them down before they could hit him. The yellow eyes bore into him as more and more swarmed in to replace the ones he felled making it seem like it was never going to end.

As he fought Roxas caught bits of pieces of what Axel was up to so he knew that he was ok as well but he didn't know for how long they could last. After a while of fighting Roxas started to notice that slowly but surely they were being pushed to the edge of the building despite their best efforts. Roxas tried to notify Axel but every time he started to a Heartless jumped on him or came at him from the side.

Then, before he could do anything to stop it, they were at the edge of the building with only a three foot barrier to prevent them from falling. The city's streets loomed below in a menacing matter as heartless swarmed the building like bee's on a full hive. Axel and Roxas were four feet apart from each other but in this situation, it might as well have been miles as neither could reach one another to help so if one of them fell there was little the other could do.

Axel was growing tired with each swing or throw he took and he had no longer had the strength to use his fire and to top it all off his attacks were getting sloppy. He noticed that Roxas was starting to slow as well and with their back against the edge, it wasn't looking well. Axel contemplated using the last of his strength in a last ditch effort but before he could think more on it, a huge Heartless slammed its way through the top floor door, breaking it open in the process.

Axels' mouth dropped open in surprise at the scale of it for it was easily twice the size of a normal Heartless and twice as contorted. This breach in his attention was all the Heartless needed and the rushed him one more time.

Roxas only slightly noticed the entrance of the huge Heartless when he heard an angry cry and when he turned to investigate Axel was gone, having fallen off the edge as the Heartless rushed him. Some were so excited they had barreled over the edge as well in the hope of a heart.

"AXEL!" Roxas screamed with fear hinged on his voice.

This couldn't be happening, this can't be happening screamed in Roxas' head.

Dropping his keyblade, Roxas rapidly turned with his hand reaching out in a futile attempt to catch the Axel. A claw ripped into his arm and dragged down from his bicep to his elbow ripping sinew and muscle in the process but with his adrenaline pumping, Roxas barely noticed and without thinking, he flung himself over the edge of the building. A few Heartless tumbled after him as they tried to converge on him but only found empty space where he once stood.

The wind whipped through his hair as he dropped towards the ground as he outstretched his arm towards Axel. He narrowed his eyes and focused on one thought, he wasn't going to let this seemingly stranger of a man die, no matter the cost.

The ground rushed up towards him but before they could meet Roxas caught up with Axel and barreled into him while latching his one good arm around Axels' stomach. At the same time he used the last reserves of his strength and unfurled his wings with all his might and in the process, his sweatshirt and shirt were ripped open in the back as his powerful wings pushed through them to meet the air.

His wings caught the air almost immediately and pulled them up making the descent a much more manageable speed but terrifying fast all the same. With a grunt, Roxas shifted his wings so they were no longer heading towards the buildings across the street and instead were gliding down the road instead.

Dimly, in the back of his mind, Roxas felt like an airplane landing on a strip.

The ground was still coming towards them and Roxas saw Axel had woken from his daze and seemed to be preparing to land by readying his legs but Roxas could only guess at the expression the man must have on his face at the wild turn of events the night had taken.

Keeping his eyes strained on the closing ground, Roxas thought quickly about how to go about this as he had never landed before while carrying someone, heck he had hardly landed by himself. When they neared the ground, he let go of Axel and pulled his wings back hard in an attempt to land somewhat gracefully. It didn't work all that well for he stumbled backwards and fell but the attempt made was there.

Axel didn't fare all that better for he fell over as well but to his credit he wasn't on the ground for long. Shaking himself out of his stupor he hauled the dazed blond up and pulled him forward away from the Heartless that were starting to stream down the sides of the building towards them.

The huge heartless was nowhere to be seen but Roxas wasn't complaining in the least.

"The emergency bunker is too far away now," Axel gasped with effort, "Our only chance is to head towards the headquarters now."

The stitch in Roxas's side was threatening to rip his body in half as the two ran on their last dregs of strength. Roxas had reached his limit a long time ago, and would have passed out long ago if he were still at the institute but the thought of being ripped to shreds by the darkness was enough for him to keep going. Ahead of him Roxas could see a tall building that loomed over them that was illuminated by the full moon that hung in the cloudless sky.

As their breaths caught in their throat and their skin perspired, a ratchet of pain snapped in Roxas's head.

"C'mon on, Not now!" Roxas hissed under his breath as one of his hands clutched at his head whilst he stumbled onward to the best of his ability. Another stab caused a hitch in his stride as Roxas saw a flurry of pictures flow like a movie before his eyes. The pictures were nonsensical but he could've swore he saw a large building, cloaked people, and a girl in white but most importantly he saw himself doing something that gave him an idea.

Without thinking, Roxas whipped around to face the hoard of Heartless slathering towards them at an increasing speed.

"What the fuck Roxas?" Axel yelled ahead of him but Roxas remained where he was. The keening noise was higher than ever, magnified by the Heartless' excitement. Their claws scratched the tar leaving tears in the pavement and the road coated in blackness that wouldn't disappear until the sun touched it.

Roxas felt time slow down as he imitated what he saw in his head, driving his palms down onto the road as a yell was ripped from his throat. Light sheared into his eyes causing him wince as a wall of light erupted from the ground and flew towards the Heartless, leaving the road untouched except to scorch the blackness seared into it. The Heartless squealed in pain and agony as the ones in front were incinerated immediately. The ones farther back were driven backwards by the panicked mob as the light singed them.

Roxas didn't wait to see what would happen next.

A bit woozy, he ran by Axel and pulled on his arm to get him moving as he had done for Roxas so many times before. The light died down after a good while and the remaining which Heartless picked up their pace in an attempt to regain their ground but not before the fleeing party had gotten a good ways away.

The looming building was growing bigger as they got closer and closer giving the two Nobodies hope they would actually survive the night and see the morning.

Unfortunately they were losing ground to the Heartless for with each step they took the Heartless leaped two more. Both of them were panting and straining for each breath as the Heartless relentless assault went unstrained. Roxas looked back once and saw the Heartless were about to be on them.

"HIYAHH!" A high pitch voice yelled and a huge shurikan waved by Roxas head and slammed into the Heartless pursuing them. The person who threw the shurikan flipped over their heads and caught it on its return trip before letting it go again. A grunt to his other side revealed a man slamming a blade into the ground and releasing an outpour of energy that shredded the Heartless and in the process halted the rampaged crowd that was threatening to overwhelm them.

Axel turned around to help the two mystery people by somehow summoning his wheels of fire and throwing them into the fray with a look of 'I am not going to die tonight' etched on his face. The fire erupted from them and sliced into the darkness with deadly efficiency and lit up the Heartless as they died. Roxas was hesitant to join the combat; his whole body ached and as he stood his legs trembled from exhaustion.

He didn't have to debate extensive length of time before he noticed the Heartless receding under the pressure of the three people and it wasn't long before they had disappeared into the shadows that they once came. Roxas closed his eyes for a brief moment and felt his wings droop visibly as is heart slowed down.

Axel let out a sigh of relief. "Heh, thanks for that Squall even though I bet I could have handled it all on my own." Axel remarked with false bravado as his body showed quite the opposite.

The man that he had spoken to, Squall was it, turned around revealing a man who looked to be in his mid twenties with shoulder length brown hair and an ensemble of black and white. He walked forward dismissing the blade that was in his hands but not before Roxas noted that it looked like a combination of a gun hybridized with a blade.

"Whhattt, you only thank him! Don't forget he spit in my food!" Roxas attention was shifted from Squall unto a short black haired woman who seemed to have drank just a bit too much coffee. Axel and Squall responded to this outburst with blank looks on their faces before turning their attention to the matter at hand.

"We better continue the conversation inside." Squall said calmly glancing at Roxas with blatant stare before heading off in the direction of the tall building. Following close behind, the group went after Squall. Roxas stared up at the lofty building as he gathered himself together.

It looked to be about forty stories high and from the looks of it, it used to be a hotel in its prime before the explosion.

Setting his expression of one that was determination, he went into the door the others had gone into on the side of the building. He emerged into what looked like a service hallway that had various parts of machinery that a wait staff of the hotel would likely utilize. He saw Axel and the others enter a door on his right, he noticed that Axel and Squall were talking to each other with mixed expressions.

Walking along to catch up with them he saw counter measures set up in case anyone broke into that door to get into the rest of the building. Tables and other various objects were upturned to make makeshift barriers and behind them they had various guns to emphasize the importance of holding this room.

Walking into the door he entered yet another room but this one was noticeably brighter and a lot less dank. Here the group had spread out and were leaning or standing around various objects that the room housed.

"Have a seat Roxas; we have to have a talk." Squall said with a tone of steel in his voice.

Roxas held back a glare but instead locked eyes with the man to show he wasn't going to back down under intimidation, bringing in his wings tight against his back he sat down and felt relief run down his legs as he let them rest. The moment was ruined as he felt a stab of pain in his arm and upon looking at it, he noticed blood still flowing freely and bits of dark gooey substance cloaked the edge.

"Can you at least let us fix his arm before you scar the poor kid for life?" Axel interjected with his arms crossed, he looked pissed off to Roxas as he leaned against the wall looking exhausted but not backing down. Squall stared at Axel a while before he held his head with one hand and he motioned to the black haired girl.

"Yuffie, go get Aerith while I talk to the kid," Squall sighed.

The Yuffie girl let exhaled loudly with a look of annoyance on her face as she turned on her heels and exited out a door on Squalls left side. The room grew silent once again but Roxas kept his guard up at all times. Roxas didn't relent though as he did his best to sit up straighter under the harsh conditions that was his body, but not quailing under the gaze.

"We could use him and you know it Leon, you saw what he did out there." Axel said lowly as he looked at Squall from the corners of his eyes making him look more dangerous that Roxas thought he was capable of.

Ignoring what Axel said, Squall turned to the red head and asked simply "You said you had the package, can I see it."

Axel rolled his eyes visibly and handed Leon his backpack. Peering in, Squall pulled out a folded piece of paper and a bottle of liquid that looked familiar but before Roxas could get a better look Squall stuffed the objects back into the bag and put it down by his feet.

"So this is the new kid." Roxas looked up from the bag to see a warm smile that was directed at him by a woman in a pink dress. She walked over briskly tutting in the process at the damage on Roxas arm.

"Yuffie said it was bad but I am surprised at the extent," She said as she opened the first aid kit she carried, not even acknowledging the wings. "Luckily for us, it doesn't look deep enough to warrant the need of stitches," Aerith added at the end of her inspection.

As Aerith looked him over Axel and Squall were having a conversation to low for him to hear but they looked ready to exchange blows by the look of it. This thought was interrupted by a hiss of pain that erupted between his clenched teeth as he felt a stinging liquid flow into the wound.

"Sorry about that, but this is the only thing that reduces the chance of infection down to almost nonexistent." Aerith comforted as she dabbed the stinging goo onto the slice on his arm. Grimacing through the pain Roxas looked up once more at the arguing pair.

"Look, I know it's a risk but he has the same weapon as that annoying kid, ugh I can never remember his name." Axel said as he punctuated his words with hand movements until at the end he was rubbing his head in thought trying to remember the kid's name.

"I guess you don't have it memorized." Squall said dryly looking exasperated. Axel didn't bother with an acknowledgement to that remark.

"The keyblade that's it, he uses it to, and then when we were running away from them before you showed up he stopped and slammed his hands in the ground and all this light erupted from the ground. It was insane." Axel decreed before lowering his voice and adding, "He came from the institute but I think we can trust him.

Leon looked over, interest showing in his eyes for the first time that night. "Institute? All right I'll go get him and he can decide."

"Thank you." Axel said curtly as Leon left the room. His face swiveled to meet Roxas where his face showed a hint of a smile. "Don't worry blondie, were not going to turn you out."

Roxas didn't say anything back as Axel settled into the chair by him and Aerith hummed a small tune as her small swift hands quickly patched up another soon to be scar on the blonds marred body. Roxas didn't know how he should feel as he sat surrounded by strangers. The fact they might think he was an enemy made him bristle but nothing they could do would contain him.

"I've never seen a Nobody with wings before, can you fly?" Yuffie asked attempt to break the silence.

Before Roxas could answer Axel was already speaking, "Ah you should have seen it girl, here we were stuck up on this building, nowhere to go, when I topple over the edge, Roxas here he…" Roxas having lived the story tuned it out as he tried to ignore the pain from his arm and body. He was exhausted to the point of collapsing but he would be damned if he blacked out in a room full of possible dangers.

Axel being nearby helped alleviate this worry but even then he didn't know if he could fully trust the man along with that Squall guy who gave Roxas a bad feeling. His thoughts wandered to what happened on the road, had he really done that. All that light had come from him?

Letting out a small groan he stuffed his face in his hand that was attached to the uninjured limb.

"All done, you did wonderfully, thank you for being the model patient." Aerith said as the same warm smile coated his face as she gently patted Roxas on his uninjured shoulder in a motherly sort of way. Roxas looked up at her and for the first time in a long while he felt like a little kid and this time not in a frightened way. He struggled until a smile showed on his face to show he appreciated the gesture but it felt awkward.

As she was putting the supplies away, Axel was reliving the story to an excited Yuffie, and a blond kid was feeling more confused than ever, the door that Squall had disappeared through burst open with a loud crack. Heads turned towards it to witness a tall blonde spiky haired individual clothed in black rush into the room with a look of unbelief etched on his face.

Roxas stood up abruptly despite his fatigue, mirroring the expression that the other blond displayed as his brain attempted to process the information his eyes were relaying.

It couldn't be, could it?

He took a tentative step forward unsure if this was real or he had died when the Heartless swarmed or better yet he was sleeping still safe in his bed four months earlier.

"Uh, Cloud, are you ok." Yuffie whispered unsure of what was occurring.

For the first time since his parents had died, Roxas felt his face screw up as a wave of emotion engulfed his battered form.

His brother took the last two steps forward and engulfed him in an embrace.

* * *

I wrote this chapter two different times with different outcomes, but I gotta say this is probably the better one, has much more action. Remember to review because I work faster and with a skip in my step when I recieve one.


	10. Chapter 10

The light emanated from Roxas' hand casting various shadows on the walls in the silent room where he lay. The glow was small and barely emanated from his hand, but that was all he could produce no matter how hard he tried to summon more.

Furrowing his eyebrows, his thoughts wandered once more to questions such as, how did I do that, am I really safe, is Sora here to, am I bringing more trouble than I am worth? All these and more swirled around in his head as he rested on the bed with his wings outstretched to such a degree that they were spilling over the edges.

His arm let out a twinge of pain protesting all the misuse that it had been put through over the course of just one day. Though the bandages that Aerith put on were even better than what Axel had done Roxas had hoped that they would heal quickly for the prospect of having a lame limb in such a dangerous place put him on edge.

Laying his aching arm on his chest he let out a sigh and allowed sleep to take him once more allowing the dreams that showed what happened earlier invade his subconscious.

* * *

"_We thought you were dead." Cloud said softly as he rested his chin softly on top of Roxas's head._

_Roxas only murmured something incoherently as he shoved his face further into Clouds shoulder as he felt tears prick the edges of his eyes despite his best intentions to not allow them to. The joy that Roxas felt that his brother was alive and ok was too much for the poor exhausted teenager as the wounds and exhaustion overcame his will for one of the few times in his life and he felt his legs start to give way. _

_The arms that were holding him gripped him harder to stop his descent towards the ground as Roxas's body was rebelling against him and no matter how much he tried he simply couldn't stand, his attempts to regain his footing just resulted in him squeaking his tennis shoe futilely against the floor. Before his attempts could become more pathetic, he was scooped up by a strong pair of arms into a bridal hold._

_He began to protest but it died on his lips as all his energy was redirected at not passing out. The thought of doing that in a building full of potential dangers made his teeth hurt but soon his thoughts were quailed a bit when Cloud's voice was heard again._

"_He'll be fine Axel, come see me after I get him settled down. Aerith can you look him over more to make sure he is ok?" Cloud ordered to the people around him as he held onto his brother that was slowly becoming limper. _

_Roxas felt the world shift as Cloud moved out of the room and down to their destination. The lights that passed overhead blurred together causing Roxas to feel panic rise up once more at his helplessness even though he was with the very brother he had been trying to so hard to get back to. Sadly there wasn't anything he could do for Roxas had reached his breaking point a long time ago and nothing he did now would change that fact._

_The journey came to a halt as Roxas felt himself placed gently on what he guessed to be a bed. His wings were still folded tightly on his back so there was no awkwardness in that department even though he still wore the hoodie that was split in the back. _

_His eyes tried to take in the swirling room but all that did was give him another headache, luckily a normal one and not the kind that threatens burst his head open. He closed his eyes to give his head a fighting chance to win the battle._

_A kind hand touched his forehead checking his temperature and cooling his head in the process alleviating the headache somewhat. _

"_It feels like he has a small fever but from what we can guess he's gone through it could be a lot worse." Aerith reported to Cloud. "He's just tired though Cloud, it will be ok." _

"_Yeah…" Cloud said hoarsely. _

"_I'll take care of him; you go talk to Axel and find out what happened." Aerith concluded as the sound of her patting his shoulder was heard._

_A rustle of clothes were heard and then a door closing. _

_The gentle hand returned and took off the remains of his sweatshirt and to undress the rest of the dirty gauze that was attempting to heal the bullet wound in his shoulder. She began to hum a small tune and it was then that Roxas finally let the last of his muscles unclench and released the world from his grasp. _

_No dreams of the Beast, the water tank, or anything to do with that place haunted him that night and for the moment Roxas felt at peace._

* * *

A weight plunged onto the bed that Roxas was currently using to sleep away the morning but that was abruptly ruined by the surprise. Scrambling away from the supposed attacker, Roxas's senses went into overdrive as he went to defend himself as memories of what had occurred yesterday seemed miles away. Summoning his keyblade to his hand and his adrenaline began to pump, he was merely rewarded with laughter directed towards him.

"Oh geeze, I didn't mean to scare you so much, put that thing away before you poke someone's eye out." The intruder said as he put a hand on the upraised Keyblade, pushing it downward and away from his face. The mane of red hair that greeted him only made Roxas bite his lip to contain his angry words but he dismissed the blade all the same.

Roxas was not amused as Axel was at the joke, but he dismissed his blade all the same.

"Oh don't give me that, I'm sorry, it's just good to see you're awake." Standing up he resumed his cool nonchalant attitude in one fell swoop without incident. Looking him over, Roxas noticed Axel seemed to have cleaned up since he had last seen him that grisly night. The trench coat was replaced by a much cleaner one without blood or tares on it and the same went for the rest of his ensemble.

It was then; Roxas realized that all he had on was his pants as his hoodie had been taken off last night when Aerith was taking care of him. His head turned to see Axel staring at him with the usual smirk on his face looking him over.

"Is there any clothes around here?" Roxas asked feeling suddenly self conscious of his body. Axel nodded and pointed at a pile at the foot of the bed. Roxas turned his head once more and stared at Axel with a blatant look on his face. Finally getting the point, He held up his hands and backed out of the room to wait for Roxas to get situated.

Sorting through the pile he found a clean hoodie along with a t-shirt that someone had kindly cut slits into. Roxas fingered the openings that had been sewed cleanly into the fabric. Roxas felt his heart start to allow Aerith in knowing that she had most likely done this for him. He put them on with minimal difficulty getting his wings to go through the slits but by the time he was done a couple of loose feathers had fallen out from the ruffling that occurred. Feeling a bit embarrassed at anyone seeing them, he picked them all up and threw them in the small waste basket in the corner of his rom. But in the end, it felt a lot better to have them folded neatly on his back rather than them being held tightly under his clothes.

Roxas exited the room to see Axel leaning against the hallway wall looking like a cocky son of a bitch the way he held himself.

"Is there a guy named Sora here?" Roxas asked, Cloud hadn't had the chance to tell him last night and the thought had been nagging at him ever since. Axel contemplated this whilst sticking out his lower lip as if in great thought.

"Hmm, what does he look like?" he said after a lot of deliberation.

"Brown spiky hair, looks like me, has the goofiest grin you have ever seen." Roxas said along with hand gestures as he pointed at himself and made a silly forced grin.

Axel laughed "Yeah, I know just the guy! I think he's on a mission right now but I don't keep tabs on everyone."

Roxas nodded as he took in the information. So Cloud and Sora had been safe all along, it made him happy that they had survived all that had occurred in the city and had found this haven. Once more he cursed all the stupid things that occurred the day of the explosion to make him end up where he did.

"Are you ready for the grand tour? Cloud is talking to the boss so he can't give it to you but I think I am a good enough second and besides I owe you for helping me out yesterday." Axel shouted back at Roxas as he proceeded down the messy hallway not bothering to check if Roxas was following after him.

The clutter mostly lay at the walls and appeared to be a mixture of clothes, shoes, and other various objects. Peering into the rooms of the hallway, Roxas noticed that they had been transformed from swanky suites to homes. Usually they were empty with just a bed and clothing haphazardly tossed around but others seemed to have been personalized by posters or nick nacks that adorned on desks. In one there was a group of girls playing with a deck of cards while talking about seemingly normal things.

"This is the twentieth floor and this floor, and a few others, houses the people that are a part of our group as well as a few refugees that were able to make it here before the Heartless could get them." Explained Axel as he gave his tour, they entered what appeared to be a small lobby on this particular floor that housed a huge wall of glass that was partially boarded up at the edges.

They walked up to it, allowing Roxas a chance to peer over it. He saw that this hotel apparently was a square shape and had an area hollowed out in the center so when he looked down he saw what appeared to be a small park in the middle of the hotel completely surrounded by the four walls. Looking up he saw that it was covered with what looked to be glass.

"That glass is bullet proof and along with the fact that we have never had heartless try to get through there, we have put off reinforcing it and instead have focused our energies on boarding bigger problem access points." Axel pointed out as he noticed the confused look Roxas gave him. "Moving on…"

"Is everyone in the city that survived, here?" Roxas asked as they gazed out of the glass.

"No, only about .01 percent of people have the gene to resist the Heartless virus and to become a Nobody and with a city of about 8 million inhabitants, that roughly results in 80,000 something people. Now after you subtract all the people from the rising death toll that often comes from living in a quarantine the number becomes quite sad. The people that have survived though often turn to gangs or other survivor groups to get by." Axel explained with a serious look on his face. "The military that was supposed to help us only seem to focus on keeping everything from getting out."

Roxas didn't know what to say to this as the news fell over him.

"With the heartless and other enemies, we are slowly killing ourselves off while the military just watches and does nothing." Axel finished heavily as he refused to meet Roxas' gaze.

Roxas's gaze wandered back to the glass. The thought that he had escaped one hell hole for another wasn't all that comforting but he knew that he would rather be in this hell hole than any other as long as he had his family.

This thought though was soon interrupted by a high pitched squeal that came to the right of them.

"Yuffie said we had someone new but I didn't know they would be so adorable!" A man exclaimed running down the hallway towards them.

"Oh god…" Roxas heard Axel mutter under his breath as he brought a hand over his face. The man drew up to them with the biggest smile on his face as he almost seemed to bounce up and down with excitement. He had what looked like a mullet and was dressed in a simple attire of a t-shirt and jeans but that was all washed away with his simply exuberant mood.

"Oh my god, you do have wings!" The mystery man yelled with the giddy apparent in his voice. "I haven't seen a Nobody with physical traits like that except from that one guy, and all he has is the tail."

Axel let out something that sounded like a low grumble when he stepped between Roxas and the man.

"Demyx, what did I tell you?" Axel asked as he punctuated the question with a rough prod to Demyx chest.

A guilty look passed over the man who was named Demyx features as he took a step back and fiddled around with his fingers. "Don't come in a twenty feet of you for at least a week…"

"And how long has it been?" Axel stated drawing himself up with a frown drawing out the last word for punctuation purposes.

"Ahhh come on Axel, I only poured some water on you, besides we were sparring, what else was I supposed to do? Throw my Sitar at you!" Demyx defended as the frown was thrown his way again but this with more vigor pushed behind it.

"How…long…has it been?" Axel stated once more with a deadpan stare that seemed to make the man shrink.

"Five days"

"How long?" He said as he cupped an ear and leaned forward.

"Five days!" Demyx practically cried with desperation hinging in his voice.

"Ok then we have our answer; now go before I shove a chakram up your ass." Axel said as he held up his hand as if preparing to strike and make good behind his threats.

Demyx stood up straighter and for a split second seemed to be not backing down even with the weighty statement looming overhead but then at the last second he stuck out his bottom lip and slouched down. He spun on his heel s and turned around while saying something along the lines about he was going to dump a truck load of water on Axel next time he had the chance.

With the grumbling continuing all the while, His figure slowly receded until he turned a corner and could no longer be seen or heard.

Axel turned around with a smile on his face, "Ok, now where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" Axel questioned putting a finger to his chin before smiling and meeting Roxas' eyes, "Oh yes now I remember." Axel turned and started towards what was labeled as the stair well. Roxas hoped with all his heart that they were going down the stairs and not upwards.

"Who needs gyms when we have good ole stairs for exercise?" Axel joked as they proceeded down the stairs. Roxas observed that the stairs had some to no defenses in place. Thinking to himself that this was probably in case someone tripped and fell or that if Heartless did breach the defenses they would need to retreat quickly and defense in such a crucial point would hamper that.

Noticing the lights that lit the stairwell Roxas asked "How do you guys have electricity, didn't the military cut it?"

"We have a couple generators that light the critical points of the building such as the basement and the stairwell; everywhere else, lights are restricted in case they get spotted. We try to stay as inconspicuous as we can." Axel answered as they headed down more stairs.

After much stair travel, the two Nobodies exited the stairwell and entered the grand entrance of the hotel.

"Watch your step, we take a lot of precautions with the Heartless looming everywhere." Axel lectured Roxas as they walked by the grand staircase.

They were walking through what looked to be the main lobby of the hotel and as it was in the basement area, there were tables and desks upturned to create more makeshift barriers. By the door there were spikes for the heartless to impale themselves on if they crashed through the heavily fortified doors and windows.

The grand staircase that leads to the higher levels also had those said spikes. Axel maneuvered through the defenses with ease so Roxas just imitated him and all was well. There were a couple of people strewn about that looked at him with unease, Roxas tried to ignore them though and kept his face forward in an attempt to block out their faces. Sadly he could still hear their muttering and curious stares trained on him.

"Just ignore them; gossip here spreads like wildfire so a new rumor will pop up any day now and make you old news." Axel said seeing the uncomfortable look Roxas was wearing with all the unwanted attention. Axel reached out a hand and patted the blond on the shoulder before making a sharp turn towards another room.

They entered a grand dining hall that had been utilized to become what looked like a big storage unit. Piles of wood and metal were in various piles scattered around the room. People were bringing in more scraps while at the same time people were cataloging it making sure they knew just how much they had.

All of the commotion was so perfectly organized it was like a hive of bees.

"This is where we bring all the wood and metal that scavengers deem safe enough to handle and strong enough to be material for barriers." Axel explained as he gestured around the room. Continuing on "Scavengers are Nobodies that were gifted with extraordinary stealth skills such as being able to match their surroundings or having superior hearing where they can detect anything within a hundred feet. Sadly these people are also the most vulnerable if they are caught; we've lost good men and women who were detected.

Roxas looked back at the people milling around with new respect as he learned the risks they took for the safety of the people housed here. Not being able to defend themselves against the Heartless or the droves of gangs would be an unsettling feeling walking outside the safety of these walls.

"Moving on," The people in the room looked up as they weaved their way through the maze. A shout to their left made them pause as a short teenager made his way towards them.

"Yo, Axel it's good to see you! There were a lot of bets that said you wouldn't be able to pull it off. Luckily for me I bet on you and made a good amount of money when I heard you not only made it back but you succeeded in your mission." The teenager reported as he looked at Axel with light dancing in his eyes. He was shorter than Roxas and had what looked like a monkey's tail.

"Hey Zidane, glad I at least had your vote of confidence. Oh, Zidane meet Roxas, Roxas meet Zidane."

The boy looked at Roxas with a curious expression as his eyes caught the edge of his wings peeking out. Roxas looked back at Zidane unwavering, refusing to show that he was uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"Zidane here is one of the best scavengers/sneaker we have. He's gathered a lot of useful information from various factions over the weeks. He is also one of the few people that can blend and use a weapon to defend himself. Usually it's one or the other, and if that's not enough he has a physical feature like you." Axel finished pointing at the tail.

"Oh now you're just embarrassing me in front of the new guy," Laughed Zidane as he waved his hand about looking more at ease. "Alright I'll let you continue you showing the new guy around. But I still want that rematch against you sometime ok?"

"Yeah sure, I'm never too busy to win." Axel said as he and Roxas walked away from the scavenger. The exited the dining hall into another hallway. "We have a lot of factions here at our base, one of them was the scavenger/sneaker unit, and besides them are the fighters, planners, healers, and operations. You get assigned a faction and work for them basically for the betterment of the base. We couldn't do without any of them."

"And you're in the operations unit?" Roxas guessed as the exited the winding hallway into a big room filled with tables.

"Yep, good guess Roxas, me, and others, take on the missions that need to be done such as when I infiltrated the institute," Axel answered as he took a seat at one of the long rectangular tables that dotted the floor gesturing Roxas to do the same. "Now how about some food, I bet your hungry since you haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon, I'll be right back." Axel said as he pushed himself from the table and headed towards cafeteria style dining.

Roxas stared at the table as he felt eyes around the room train in on him, he was hungry but he didn't know if it was worth it. He fought to keep his wings from instinctively ruffling up but they still stood on end some. The muttering started next as his heightened hearing heard people start to talk about "that new kid." Balling his hands into fists Roxas ground his teeth in an attempt to fight the growing urge to hit something and waited for Axel to get back to get his mind off things.

"I heard he's Clouds brother."

"Really? Well I heard that he came from a military base just outside the city. I don't think we can trust him, better keep the kids away."

"Yeah I agree, I don't trust him either, just look at him. Got some sneaky eyes on him."

More of the same conversation erupted around him as the people eating took notice that he was in the room. After another minute crawled by with the conversations not slowing down, Roxas stood up abruptly and walked towards an exit knowing if he stayed in there a moment longer his resolve would disappear and he would end up confronting someone. The conversations quieted down as he walked by, Roxas only hoped that Axel wouldn't mind too much at his sudden departure.

Exiting the room, he walked in a random direction and only had the goal in mind of getting as far away from people as he could. The urge to go outside and fly away had never been greater than now but sadly he was still grounded. The hallways soon blended together and luckily he didn't happen into anyone that would gawk at him.

Walking onward, Roxas took a turn promptly ran into someone. Roxas was about to mumble an apology and walk away when he noticed his brother Cloud was with the man as well.

"Roxas, it's good to see your up. We were about to go find you." Cloud said as a smile barely showed on his face at seeing his brother up and about. Roxas glanced back at the man that was with Cloud. He was taller than him and had short jet black hair along with a carefully groomed beard and mustache as well a serious, yet at ease look to him.

"Meet our leader Roxas, this is Commander Mickey. He is going to be watching you over the next couple of days to see which faction you're going to be assigned to." Cloud said gesturing to the man beside him.

"I've heard a lot about you Roxas, how you survived at the institute for over three months and escaped all on your own meaning you could have some valuable information for us. That is impressive and will earn you good place here if you so desire and comply." The commander told Roxas as he appraised him with his eyes.

Roxas returned the look and said with grace, "It's good to meet you sir." Roxas felt respect growing for the man in front of him. He saved all these people and kept his family safe. That alone was enough to earn Roxas's loyalty, until proven otherwise of course. If this man hurt him or his family in anyway then there would be hell to pay without a second thought.

"Come with me Roxas, I want to talk to you more in depth and where there are no prying ears to overhear." Mickey explained as he walked down the hallway, supposedly to his office. Cloud gave him a quick head nod before clasping a hand on his shoulder in a brotherly sort of way, and then they both walked towards Mickey, and towards to Roxas's inevitable future with this group.

He just hoped it was a good one.

* * *

**Sooo yes, I hope you enjoyed it and I know it was a tad on the boring side but the next chapter will have more action. Please or please review for if you do I will dance with horses.**


	11. Chapter 11

Roxas sat in the dimly lit room across from the man named Commander Mickey and couldn't help but fidget a bit.

The Commander was currently sorting through the many papers on his desk so Roxas took the opportunity to observe his surroundings in greater detail.

Maps and papers were strewn all over the room in an unorganized fashion. The window in the office was boarded up almost entirely so only a few streams of light came through, luckily there was a small lamp on the desk that Mickey was working on so there was some light to illuminate the surroundings. The bad side to this it made Roxas feel like this was more of an interrogation that a conversation.

As for the man that was behind the desk, he was of large built and slightly taller than his older brother from what he could see and had a gruff unshaven beard. He had on a trench coat similar to Axels but it was situated on him to be much more formal and refined as well as being grey instead of black. It also had a curious black symbol on it but to Roxas it just looked like three circles situated on each other.

A cry of success shook the blond from his appraisal of the room and brought his attention to the man in front of him holding a yellow folder.

"I thought I put it in the right drawer," the man exclaimed as he rifled through the folder with a large hand. "Ah here we go, this here is the report that Axel filled out after you two got back. It details all that happened on your way here." He pulled out a single document and put the folder down as he skimmed the paper. Finishing that up, he nodded and held it out to Roxas. "Here you can have a look." Roxas took the piece of paper and looked it over quickly.

It appeared to show only what happened when he met up with Axel; the rest of the mission must be still in the folder. Roxas handed the report back to the Commander who promptly put it back in the folder. "I must say I am very impressed from what I have read and heard so far." Commander Mickey grew serious as he said "But Roxas, I know that your Clouds brother and he will vouch for you anytime of the week but we need to be safe incase anything that happened to you brought danger here. So I am going to have to ask for your permission to probe through your memories."

Roxas's eyes widened at the question that was proposed to him, the thought of such a breach of privacy made his ankle itch where his tracker used to be. "Sir, what would you do if I said no?"

The Commander brought a hand through his hair as he said "It wouldn't be good Roxas, we have to know we can trust you implicitly, I can't have any doubts. Everyone has to go through it Roxas, you're no exception. So I am going to ask you again Roxas, may I?" His eyes pierced Roxas's soul as if already scanning his memories. His thoughts wandered to Cloud, Sora and his missing friends. He could do this, he had to do this.

"Alright, what do you have to do to let me stay here?" Roxas said putting his hard won trust in the leader's hands.

The Commander, upon hearing this, stood up and strode towards Roxas, "Ok Roxas just relax this won't be too uncomfortable, just remember to keep breathing." A hand descended upon Roxas's forehead and something dove into him.

_Roxas watched as his life seemingly played out before him as he felt a stealthy hand sift through his memories, trying to find the target area. In quick flashes he saw random parts of his life that to this day had never really thought back on preferring to focus on the present after what had happened. _

_Sora hit him in the head as they sat in a sandbox with an eight year old Cloud sighing at having to babysit the toddlers. _

_His parents sat in the swing outside their house in Ifrit, a yell made him swing his head towards Sora as they resumed their playing with Cloud reluctantly joining in until his friends came over. _

_The school bell rang as Roxas walked down the hall with his twin right by his side until they were forced to split up to go to different classes. THe feeling of being crushed by people all around him as he sifted his way through the hall etched in his mind._

_The whacking of wooden swords resounded as Cloud and Roxas practiced sword fighting when the telephone rang. Sora picked it up but Roxas turned to look when his voice suddenly hitched and his blue eyes turned to face his twin with a world of fear in his eyes. _

_Rain poured down around them as the pastors voice rang throughout the graveyard as his parents bodies were lowered into the ground. Cloud stood in front of him with his head bowed. Sora was crying beside him as he stood quietly, his tears mixing with the rain. The knowledge that his parents were gone forever ingrained in every fiber of his being as he looked up at the murky sky._

_They had just moved to the newly built safest city in the world that was prepared for anything. Cloud had gotten a job offer to become a lieutenant at the police headquarters there making the decision to move away from Ifrit an easy one. Cloud, Sora and he stood in front of the fountain in the central park and each of them made a wish as they ate sea salt ice-cream to commemorate the move._

_The memories began to slow down as he felt the Commander sift through the more relevant memories. He saw the last three months go before his eyes as the Commander looked for any signs that could help or endanger the survival group and to see if he could be trusted. _

_After what felt like an eternity, Roxas felt the Commander start to withdraw from his memories. _

Feeling groggy and slightly depressed at what he had just been forced to see and relive, he opened his eyes to see the Commander walking back around to sit at his desk with a mixed expression. He met Roxas's eyes and gave smile and said "No worries Roxas, I checked you out and you're all clear."

The Commander looked oddly strained as if something was bothering him as he contemplated what he just saw. His face was stoic and he grabbed a pen and started writing down information furiously.

"Thank you Roxas, you have done us more good than you could possibly know. I will need some time to think on this though." Though the words were that of comfort Roxas couldn't help but feel a small shiver coat the back of his neck, "Send Cloud in once you leave, I will need to talk to him about what I just learned." The Commander finished as he continued to scribble down what seemed like nonsense to Roxas.

"Is there anything you need me to do in the mean time sir?" Roxas inquired as he stood up from the chair not knowing what would be expected of him now.

Commander Mickey looked up and gave a brief, if a bit strained, smile. "We will talk more later, until then I would go eat something." He let out a snicker as he looked back down, "I heard your stomach growling before the meeting began. After that report to Yuna and we will see if you can harness this power you displayed on your way here. Then tomorrow you will report to Squall to test your battle prowess. This will help us place you in a faction that will unleash you full potential," Saying that, Mickey grabbed another paper and started to write out seemingly nonsense notes.

Roxas gave a nod and turned once more to leave.

"Oh and one more thing, don't let the people get to you, I'll let it leak we had a meeting and that will shut them up about trusting you." Commander Mickey with a now more sincere smile though something still remained undisclosed behind his eyes but before he could confirm the Commanders head was shoved down once more in his growing pile of paper.

Roxas let out a curt nod and left the Commander alone feeling oddly unbalanced with his head feeling floaty. Closing the door behind him, Roxas saw Cloud not too far off talking to a very anxious looking Axel. Both of them didn't notice Roxas approaching them so he heard the tail end of the conversation.

"You need to settle down Axel, he's just talking to the Commander, we all have to in the beginning." Cloud was explaining to the Red head before turning around at the noise of footsteps. "See, he's right there." Axel looked around Cloud and showed relief on his face. Sadly that relief quickly turned to anger as he walked briskly up to the blond. Roxas fidgeted as he rubbed a hand on the back of neck as he waited for the inevitable though he didn't know why he seemed to care about what the man thought.

"Roxas, what the hell! Here I was giving you probably the best god damn tour of your life and you just bail without saying anything?" Axel lectured as he ran a hand through his hair in agitation, "For all I knew, you could have been captured by Demyx or something worse."

Roxas looked down at his feet, feeling his wings ruffle up but again he didn't know why. He had no idea why he was letting this get to him, the thought finally occurred to him that maybe he actually valued what Axel thought of him but that was pushed aside before he could say anything as Cloud stepped in.

"Take it easy, he's here now, no harm no foul. Roxas did everything go ok?" Cloud asked turning his head away from the begrudged red head to his brother as he smiled as big as Cloud would ever come to smiling.

Roxas nodded smiling a bit at seeing his brother and Axel, it was nice to see some familiar faces after that experience. "I'm sure you know what he did, and I'm all clear." Roxas reported standing up straight instinctively in front of his brother feeling as if a weight had fallen off of his shoulders.

It was just now occurring to him that he was free, he was freaking free. It made him feel oddly giddy and light as if he was filled with helium. He kept thinking he was going to wake up any minute with Hojo leering over him with a bloody needle dripping with black crud.

It was almost overwhelming.

He was shaken from his thoughts as Cloud smiled his rare grin and clasped him on his uninjured shoulder. "I knew you would. Anything else happen besides that?"

Roxas thought about telling him about the uneasy feeling he had when the man named Mickey had looked at him afterword but instead replied "I'm supposed to go find Yuna today, and he told me to tell you to go talk to him."

Cloud nodded and said "I'll go talk to him; you go do what he told you to do and stay out of trouble you hear?" He walked towards the Commanders office but not before a quick pat on the shoulder was administered.

He began to walk away passing him and Axel but before he disappeared in to the disheveled office to converse with their leader he turned back and said, "I'm glad you're back Roxas."

Roxas said nothing back feeling awkward but was glad his brothers had said that all the same as the fact that he was there and he was safe finally was settling over him.

But Cloud then walked into the office leave Roxas to fidget in place feeling the glare on him from Axel. He didn't know why he cared so much that Axel was mad at him, besides his brothers and three friends he didn't give a fuck what other people thought of him till now.

The thought unnerved him.

Turning back around he tentatively looked up to face the wrath of Axel and was surprised to see the Pyros expression softened under the gaze of the keyblade bearer. Sighing as he rubbed his forehead out of frustration he said "Ok, look just don't do it again, or if you do say something."

Roxas looked away a second before looking back and giving a soft smile wondering that maybe having an ally in the place wouldn't be so bad, "Ok, you have a deal Axe."

"Alright, alright, enough with the puppy eyed look. Let's go get some grub now, and this time we will eat somewhere else." Axel turned and walked down the hallway trailing a somewhat happier Nobody behind him.

"Don't get used to this." The pyro said in between bites of his Chicago thick crust pizza. "Since you're a new guy, Cid wanted to make you something special. Besides it was getting really old so we were going to have to make it eventually." The empty pizza box was placed between the two Nobodies as they sat in an abandoned broom closet. It was the only place Axel could think of in the immediate area that would get them away from people without any risk of exposure.

Roxas felt like he was in heaven. He didn't care that the pizza was slightly cold or that it was really old. What he cared about was that he was having pizza and for the briefest of moments he felt normal. The world was miles away and it was just him and Axel having pizza without having to feel like he was in danger.

Seeing that these moments came far and few between he was wise enough to cherish it.

"Now, with lunch out of the way, what's next on your agenda?" Axel said as he dug out the last few crumbs left in the box.

Roxas closed his eyes and sat listening to the red head fumble around with the box before answering, "I'm supposed to go find Yuna, Something about a test." Axel looked up from his pizza crumb excursion upon hearing this bit of news.

"Heh, I remember when I had to do that; Yuna can looks like she is really nice, which she is, but man does she have a dark side," Joked Axel as he gave up on finding more crumbs. "Lets get going. I don't want you to get into trouble for being late for your big test." Axel said as he brushed off the crumbs that had settled onto his clothing. Roxas stood and exited the closet entering what seemed to be an abandoned hallway. A few seconds later, Axel emerged as well still brushing off some stubborn crumbs.

"Hah! I knew one day you would come out of the closet!" someone yelled down the hallway towards them. Turning his head, Roxas felt himself tense up at the unfamiliar voice.

Would there ever be a day when he wouldn't feel his heart race when something unexpected happened?

Down the hall, a blonde girl was running towards them, she had yellow hair that looked like the rays of the sun and had beads decorated in them that bounced with each step. All in all the whole of the outfit seemed to fit who so far introduced personality to the letter.

"Hah, you're so hilarious…" Axel said sarcastically while he rolled his eyes. "What do you want Rikku, and make it quick we have a tight schedule." He motioned at Roxas and took off at a brisk pace down the hall leaving a confused looking Rikku trailing behind them.

"Hey, slow down! I was sent by Yuna to get you to!" Roxas stopped at let Rikku catch up upon hearing that.

"Yuna sent you? I'm supposed to go meet her for some kind of test." Roxas explained to Rikku as she glared at Axel who just brushed some dust of his should nonchalantly.

"Hmph, yeah she got word from the Commander and when you didn't come right away she sent lucky me to track you down. I know I'm part of the seeker faction but this is just ridiculous!" Rikku whined as she pulled at her hair in a dramatic fashion.

Axel throughout this exchange remained quie**t** until he said "So Rikku, how long did it take you to find us?"

"Huh, heh, well only about five minutes but still. Hiding in a broom closet is cheap!" Rikku said sheepishly at getting caught. "But what are we doing standing around here arguing, if we dilly dally any longer Yuna will make me redo my test," said Rikku, switching the topic of the conversation with ease though Axel was still giving incredulous look.

Displaying a huge grin, Rikku gave a mock salute and started walking in the opposite direction. "She's out in the practice room. I know you know the one." She said gesturing to Axel before continuing, "She's helping out some kids but will be done soon, so don't keep her waiting!" She yelled back at them before skipping away.

Roxas stood back feeling a little confused at what just occurred turned towards Axel to see him smiling down at him. Rolling his eyes at him before allowing a small smile to surface, Roxas asked "So where is this practice room at?"

Axel started forward as he said "It's not too far from here, luckily since were still on the first floor we won't have to walk down any stairs. You'll see in a few minutes, c'mon"

Roxas just shook his head as Axel kept the location of the training ground a secret.

Even though Roxas had a pretty good guess on where it was he let Axel have his fun still feeling as if all the puzzle pieces were falling into place and he was going to be ok.

Their walking eventually brought them to a huge ballroom that had been repurposed to become a sort of training ground for what looked like new recruits from how they handled themselves. The room was filled with make shift dummies and a lot of fire extinguishers scattered around. There were about twenty people in the room and seemed to consist of teenagers like himself except for one or two standouts who looked to be in their late twenties or early thirties.

Axel strode up with confidence to a woman who seemed to be leading the group in practice. The woman had on a pair shorts as well a short top but somehow they seemed to fit her without coming off as something else.

"All right Vivi, you need to breathe or you're going to lose control again." The woman was helping an African American kid hold a pair of ice daggers in the air above the targeted dummy. The dummy was humorously labeled Squall Lionheart with a sign taped to his chest.

Axel dug his elbow into Roxas's side and gave a grin indicating he was the one who did that. Shifting his attention back to the scene before him Roxas saw the boy move the daggers with uncontrolled gestures causing them to shoot into the walls where they joined a few others.

The crowd of a few people around the two cheered at the spectacle not caring in the least that the targeted dummy remained unharmed. The woman turned around and glared at them before shooing them away and in the process saw Roxas and Axel walking towards her. Axel slowly clapped his hands slowly and said "You really have your work cut out for you missy."

The woman before them just shook her head. She extended a hand towards Roxas and said "I've heard a lot of things about you Roxas. It's good to finally meet you, I'm Yuna." Roxas met her halfway and they did a brisk handshake. "Too bad you're hanging out with this bimbo. Has the most raw power I have ever seen and what does he do? That." She pointed towards a corner of the room with a deft finger.

The corner that she pointed at was completely charred black and it extended about ten feet on both sides reaching up to the ceiling. It was roped off and had a sign on it that Roxas that couldn't read from here. "That, Roxas is what Axel did when he was having a bit of 'fun' or so he claims."

Axel just laughed as he said, "So I got a little out of control, you roped me in, in the end didn't you?" Yuna just shook her head and put her hands on her hips. She looked back up at Roxas and smiled a smile that rivaled Aeriths in kindness.

"Axel, since you can never have enough practice, why don't you go over there and have a go at that dummy you love so much. I put a barrier on it so it will take you awhile." Yuna finished and jutted her hand towards the dummy labeled Squall. The kids gathered around him as he started.

Roxas looked back towards Yuna to see her motioning for him to follow. "I was told by the man upstairs that I am supposed to see what you can do so here is a dummy." She stopped in front of an unmarked dummy. "I want you to just go at it so I know where you're at before we can start training but no using a weapon, just the power that's inside if you have it." She stepped back and looked at him expectantly.

Roxas just stared blankly at the dummy before him. He was at a loss at what to do, the power that had come so suddenly and left just as quickly. Steeling himself, he turned towards Yuna and told her "I really can't do more than this." He extended his hand and brought forth the small light he could manage. Her expression changed to confusion.

"I was told you stopped a hoard of Heartless coming towards you."

Roxas dropped his hand to his side and ran the other through his hand, "I did but ever since then I can't do more then what I just showed you."

Yunas' expression changed as rapidly as it did before to one of understanding. She put a hand on Roxas's shoulder which caused him to slightly flinch. She withdrew her hand quickly as if a retreating from a poisonous snake but Roxas let it go. "Hey, don't worry. I've had a lot of kids that have come through here that can't do anything either. I know how to help."

Roxas looked up with hope, he didn't like the fact that he couldn't work this power and if Yuna could help him. She gave another warm smile his way and led him over to a big blue mat in the other corner of the room.

"Hey kids, it's time for meditation, yes you to Axel!" She gracefully sat down cross legged and motioned for everyone to do the same. All the kids did it quickly showing that this was a normal thing. Roxas awkwardly sat down feeling uneasy, but Axel soon plopped down by him and shot him a grin.

"You know the drill, close your eyes." Yuna said softly with a smooth voice that seemed to mellow the very atmosphere. Roxas looked around and saw everyone following her instructions. Not knowing what else to do he followed suit. "Clear your mind and feel your body breathe. Control that breathing and take hold of it like your powers. Don't let it get away from and breathe in and breathe out."

With his eyesight closed off, his other sense skyrocketed. He felt the breaths around him and the body heat of everyone making him feel incredibly uncomfortable knowing he could be attacked at any angle but he forced to away knowing that if anything attacked he would be able to take care of it. He felt his body relax piece by piece as Yuna's voice echoed in his ears.

And as the time passed his hope grew that perhaps he would be able to master this skill and be able to protect anyone he loved as well as himself because he was free.

He was free.

* * *

**My computer evidently hates me and deleted this chapter just as I had finished it. After rewriting it again my computer decided to say HEY I FOUND IT. So this chapter is a result of those two chapters merged. I hope you like it, action next chapter.**

**Oh yeah, I own nothing except my socks.**


	12. Chapter 12

After the meditation was over Yuna separated Roxas from the group in order to work one on one with him.

He still found he had trouble with summoning any light at all but as they worked he could feel as if he was bonding with his power. After creating a small ball he threw it up in the air experimentally and caught it which caused him to shoot an uncharacteristic grin towards Yuna. She smiled back and told him "Good progress so far Roxas, after a while you could create weapons out of light perhaps."

He tossed the ball up in the air in thought at that suggestion. He didn't think he would be able to do that for a while but when he could it would be an interesting proposition.

A yell across the room stirred him from his thoughts "Hey Yuna, I bet I will always be your best student though!" Axel was looking at them with smugness showing but laughter stirring in his eyes. Roxas felt the edges of his mouth quirk up in a hint of a smile before he threw the ball he was playing with towards the "Best Student Ever." A loud thwack and an ouch was heard.

Axel rubbed at his forehead where the ball hit him dead on. He looked to be thinking about throwing a fireball or something similar back but looked away as if trying to be the bigger person in the situation. Shrugging it off, he walked towards Roxas and Yuna.

"Good throw shortstop; you should be in the major leagues." He said with his signature grin that seemed to make any conversation better.

"That's it for today Roxas, but don't worry. You have had a better start than most." She explained with a smile looking down at Roxas as if he was student, "I'll send my report to the Commander so he knows where your progress is." She turned and left, walking towards the younger kids still huddled around the burning Squall dummy.

Roxas watched her leave before turning back to Axel who had a smug look on his face.

"What?" Roxas asked raising an eyebrow at the expression.

"I have a treat for you." He said with the smug look still on his face. Roxas gave him a questioning look but it didn't hinder Axel the least bit as he took off walking towards the exit of the room.

"One of these days you're going to start walking away, and I'm not going to follow." Roxas yelled after him as he ironically trailed after. He wondered in the back of his mind if Axel would ever cease to surprise him but he really doubted that would ever happen.

It's going to be worth it, just trust me." Axel said breathily as they climbed up the flight of stairs at a turtles speed. "Besides if you would just learn to fly, you could already be there."

Roxas shot him a glare that went unappreciated for Axels' back was towards him. He had lost count of how many flights of stairs they had traveled but had to admit Axel was right about this being the only exercise you would need in this place.

Continuing onward for another good fifteen minutes, Roxas was relieved when Axel let out a cry of delight upon hitting the end. Axel turned towards him and bowed as elegantly as he could on the stairs before unlocking the door and opening it. Roxas rolled his eyes at him before walking into the sunlight that had escaped into the stairwell.

A gasp of amazement escaped him before he could hold it back when what awaiting him was seen.

They were on the roof with the city sprawling out before them for miles in every direction showing everything. He could see the boats patrolling on the water around the city and even some people moving about on the closet bridge leaving him stunned.

The sun was starting to set and displayed colors like swaths of a paint brush decorating a canvas leaving Roxas effectively breathless because he just loved this time of the day. He had watched a good number of sunsets with his family and friends and the memories associated with that made him smile sadly. The feeling was like meeting a long lost friend he had lost contact with due to unfortunate incidents.

The air was pure and crisp with the wind bringing in fresh air from the sea. He breathed in deep enjoying the sensation of his lungs being full to bursting before breathing it out heavily.

It was all just to perfect.

"Told you it was worth it, and if the view isn't enough for you to wet your pants, then look what I have." Roxas shifted his gaze from the landscape back to Axel to see the man pulling a cooler out from under some debris. "Yuffie was instructed to put this here today on order from your older brother. He wanted to be the one to eat it with you but the Commander has him roped in currently. Sooo he settled with you enjoying these with me."

And there Axel was, holding out two sea salt ice-creams. The pale blue ice-creams caught the sunlight on an angle and in result glistened delightfully as perspiration began to form.

Roxas's hand quivered as he reached for the proffered treat and felt nostalgia overpower his senses for a brief moment. His hand closed on the stick holding the ice-cream in place and pulled it close treasuring the moment.

Months of nothing but harsh treatment and abuse had left him battered and hardened but here in this moment, he felt like he used to. Like a teenager with only the barest amount of worries and not that he was going to die or someone he loved die.

Axel just let a small smile show on his face before walking towards the edge of the building and sitting down with his legs hanging a bit off the rim seemingly not caring about the height. Roxas walked over to join him his eyes screwed up trying to overcome the happiness that was surging through him. He stopped short behind Axel as he reined in his emotions, this wasn't him, he didn't let people see this part of him.

Not even before the explosion had he even let his brothers see what was eating at him.

Axel turned his head toward the blond standing behind him. He noticed the Ice-cream was starting to sweat so he commented "It's starting to melt, you better eat it."

He threw in a grin just for the heck of it and saw the blond return it weakly. Roxas was acting weird. True, Axel had only known him for a good two days but through those two hectic days he had grown used to the calm, take no shit attitude from the kid but the Roxas before him was acting quite differently. He had his head bent downward so his eyes were hidden but he saw a visible tremble on the shoulders.

"Roxas, are you ok?" he asked with a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Uh huh, I'm fine. Just tired is all." Roxas replied hoarsely as he looked up and met Axels' eyes before sitting down on the edge with him. His wings stretched out behind him filling with the warmth the sun provided. He finally turned his attention to the salty yet sweet treat before him and began his consumption of it. He could hear Axel noisily do the same beside him but welcomed the valued companionship nonetheless.

At the institute all he had had for company was the scientists and military personal that all had an agenda of their own. The thought of being able to trust someone there was balked at and since he had escaped the thought that he could trust anyone besides his family never had crossed his mind. But here he was at this new place, no his new home and sure there were people that questioned him sure but he had found his family.

And here he was enjoying a beautiful vista with sea salt ice cream, and a man that he realized with a shock he was beginning to think of as a friend. It was almost to alien of a concept for him to grasp at at first leaving him fumbling wildly inside his head. Putting a hand to his head he figured he just needed to take it slow for a couple of day for the reality of what was happening to sink in.

The days after the escape had been filled with adrenaline and fear but here now, in front of the sunset, it was real.

The wind gently blew by them as the sun sank down into the dark blue. Roxas finished up his ice-cream and turned towards Axel and quietly said "Thank you."

Axel turned with a quizzical look towards him with the ice-cream shoved in his mouth. He pulled out the remains and replied "Heh, what are you thanking me for, it was your brothers idea."

Roxas cast his gaze downward and stood up abruptly and without looking at Axel he said "No, thanks for being a friend." Axel just stared up at him with a dumbstruck look on his face. He had considered the blond a friend as well but never thought the cranky kid returned the feelings.

A grin lit the Red heads face as he leaned back and said, "Only you would feel the need to address such an obvious thing out loud."

Roxas turned his head towards Axel who was lying down on the roof with his eyes closed and his arms behind his head. His red hair casually brushed against his pale skin like dancing flames, Roxas felt the sudden urge to reach out and touch the fiery locks but restrained his rogue hand. Looking back towards the sunset that was almost finished Roxas let out a grin of his own. He had found a friend. Would he give up on trying to find his other friends?

Hell no, but Roxas wouldn't mind any extra help in the search.

Gazing out at the sunset Roxas expanded his wings to their full capacity and toyed with the idea of jumping off and attempting to fly. Rubbing his forehead he dismissed the idea, he still had a bullet wound and a slice in his arm. No need to invite further injury upon himself.

At least, not yet.

The wind picked up again and lightly tossed his hair and feathers about. Settling his wings back down by this prompting he saw that some of his ebony feathers had fallen off. He watched a few fall to the roof floor before being picked up by the breeze. They careened forward off the building, taking off to the sky like he couldn't. For once in these past few crazy months, Roxas felt surge of hope that just maybe, everything would turn out ok.

But oh how wrong we can be sometimes.

Sometime later Roxas and Axel made the journey back down the stairs. They parted ways when Axel had to leave for a meeting with his faction but promised Roxas that he would meet up with him tomorrow. Roxas not knowing what to do walked around aimlessly in the huge building looking for possible weak spots or advantages if ever the time came he would need them. Growing bored of that distraction he ended up sitting down on the grand staircase to watch the people mill around down there trying to get a feeling for the folks here.

Time passed and Cloud happened upon Roxas resulting in the two having dinner together.

They ended up eating in Clouds office which Roxas didn't mind at all, getting away from the swarms of people that called this place home was always welcome. Roxas was not a people person and the barrage of people at the cafeteria to pick up their food had left him with a mad itch on his ankle. He had to look down at his ankle several times to make sure the old metal ankle-band hadn't suddenly come back.

Clouds office greatly resembled the Commanders in its decoration of papers and a huge map. Roxas noticed there were black and red X's covering the map in seemingly random places on the island of Normandy city.

Between bites of his sandwich Roxas asked "What are the X's on the map representing."

Cloud looked up from the stack of papers he was working on with a piece of bread hanging from his mouth. He finished up the bread before saying "The black X's are where the Military Nobodies have hit, red X's are for where military troops have hit. Were trying to track their movement to try and figure out what their planning but it's still a work in progress." Cloud looked at the map as he leaned his head into his crooked hand. Shifting his gaze to Roxas he questioned, "Is everything going okay?"

Roxas could tell that Cloud was dying to ask him what had happened to him but Roxas knew that the commander had most likely filled him in making him reluctant to tell the tale again.

After a moment, Roxas met his gaze steadily and smiled a small amount and said "Yeah, it's been fine, everyone's been nice but you know how I get around people." He took another bite to let Cloud get some time to mull over what he just said.

Cloud just let out a rare laugh as he shook his head. "How could I not, whenever I was in the same school as you I heard about your habits. At least some things never change." Cloud leaned back in his chair and sighed before saying "For what it's worth Roxas…" Cloud trailed off clearly not knowing how to explain the relief and happiness at finding that his younger brother had not died in the catastrophe like he had so feared but no words would come. Instead he said, "Sora will be excited to know your ok. He never gave up on you. Said he would have known if you were dead." Cloud looked uncomfortably at a corner of the room, the guilt of giving up on his brother evident on his face.

Roxas felt a surge of guilt as well making his family worry so much. He knew he couldn't help what happened to him but that didn't stop the fickle emotion from wedging itself into a corner his stomach. Trying to steer the conversation from the pit of despair he asked "When's Sora getting back?"

At this question a flicker of uneasiness went across his brother's face but disappeared before he could confirm anything. "He is due back any day now; he is with one of our best agents so we don't have much to worry about yet." After that question the subject was dropped after Roxas saw Cloud reluctance to go further into detail. The meal passed in quiet comfortable conversation as the two brothers got caught up in what had happened in each other's lives.

It was mostly on what happened to Cloud but that's beside the point.

It turned out that when the explosion occurred Sora and him had been waiting for Roxas to get home so they could eat. After that Cloud said he only remembered the sound of explosions and the sounds of people screaming as the first wave of the virus hit. After the explosions aftermath hit the shit fan, he and Sora had holed up in the house until Cloud and Sora had started to show signs of becoming Nobodies. At the time Cloud said he wasn't scared at what was happening because he was just worried about getting Sora to safety and finding Roxas.

When he hit that point he stopped short again but Roxas only asked "What happened next?"

Cloud looked back up and crinkled his eyes for a moment before continuing.

After a week had passed they had tried to leave the city to only find that all the exits had been blocked by the military. Cloud, in frustration, had almost confronted the military right then and there when a mysterious man had stopped him and offered to help them. That man had been Commander Mickey.

After that the rest is history. Cloud and Sora helped him find other lost Nobodies while at the same time defending themselves off from the infected Heartless and helped make the headquarters what it was today.

When he was done Roxas told him a bit about what happened to him, mostly just the bare minimum but Cloud got the hint that Roxas didn't want to tell him or even think about it.

The day soon passed and Roxas ended up going back to the room he woke up in. Taking his shoes off he lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Tomorrow was when he had his test with Squall but Roxas wasn't worried. He hadn't spent the months in the Institute doing nothing.

Roxas stirred on his bed unable to sleep, getting up he walked over to the window that had only a few boards in place. Roxas looked to the stars and lost himself in thought. After a while exhaustion caught up with him and fell asleep with dreams haunting his every moment.

_The dream started out innocent enough. _

_Roxas and his pack of friends were on the move down the busy sidewalks of Normandy city. His cares a thing of the past._

"_Hurry up Roxas, were going to be late for the movie!" Hayner yelled as he weaved in and out of the huge crowd that blotted out the sidewalk with their sheer mass. _

"_Yah and you're the one who begged us to come see it with you!" Pence added as he jogged a little behind the camo wearing blond._

"_I hope you guys all did your summer reading before the movie or you're going to regret it!" Ollette said as she skipped along merrily obviously having done her homework already. Roxas was running far behind all of them being driven back by a rather large family that refused to let him pass, he had wanted to see this movie for so long with his friends and they finally were going to. _

"_You better catch up Roxas, or you're going to lose them." Yuffie yelled from on top of a venders cart. Roxas stumbled to a stop and looked up in confusion. He heard his friends yell again for him which caused him to look forward at them. Whipping his head back at the hot dog venders cart he saw that Yuffie was gone._

_With a baffled expression on his face Roxas started forward again. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw first Demyx, then Commander Mickey but every time he looked closely they were gone with the crowd. Something wasn't right but he couldn't put his finger on it. His friends yelling at him to continue on didn't help. _

_The edges of his vision started to get blurry as the world started to distort around him. His friends were starting to get farther and farther away and he no longer saw the strange people around him. _

_A giant shove forced him out of the crowd and onto the street where he staggered to the side trying to regain his footing. Fire exploded from every which way as the mob of people started to scream. Roxas watched in horror, frozen and unable to do anything. Black ooze flowed forth from cracks and seeped every which way. The burning people struggled in the blackness as they sank into its depths as their screams hung in the air. _

_Roxas struggled against what was holding him but to no avail. The people sank out of sight and all was calm for the moment. _

_Suddenly, hands ripped out of the blackness and clawed their way forth. Screaming heads pushed their way through and yellow eyes stood out starkly. Appendages free they heaved and gasped as they lurched to their feet. _

_Finding himself unfrozen, Roxas stood stock still though as he saw the yellow eyes turn his way. Shaking out of his trance he tried to summon his keyblade but felt nothing fall into his hand. Something dripped down his back and with exploring hands he felts leaking stumps where his wings used to be. Holding back a scream, the beasts started forward towards him. They leaped into the air to descend upon him but the ground dissolved from under him and he felt himself falling down, down, down._

_Falling on something hard he looked up to see Hojo's face leering towards him holding a giant needle filled with blackness. A team of scientists huddled behind him, all held a deadly tool menacingly. Roxas tried to get up but found his arms and legs bound still to the operating table he was lying on._

"_Oh how stupid you were Roxas, I really expected more." Hojo said calmly as he motioned the scientists forward. "Did you ever really believe that you could escape?" Hojo laughed as the scientists came closer, "Oh how naïve the young can be."_

_Roxas thrashed at his binding but nothing changed as the scientists descended upon him. Pain erupted from everywhere they injected, cut, and mutilated. A giant hacksaw revved up as he saw through his pain laced vision the Beast walking towards him through the crowd. The scientists withdrew slowly to allow him room. With a smile on his lips he drove the hacksaw down onto Roxas's head. _

Roxas awoke on the floor tangled up in his sheets but the pain didn't lessen as he escaped from the confines of the dream.

Holding his breath he lay stock still trying to will away the pain and hoping that no one came in to see him like this. He could still feel the hacksaw ripping through bone to enter his brain cavity in frightening clarity as the words Hojo had said echoed within him making the doubt he experienced grow.

Gripping the sheet tightly until his knuckles turned white he waited, and waited, and waited until the pain lessened its grip on his mind and finally allowed him to breathe.

Breathing out, he slowly got to his feet, his wings trailing behind him awkwardly on the ground, and headed towards the toilet. Upon reaching it he puked all that was in his gut out. Retching a bit as he flushed the toilet, thankful that they still had running water, he sat down and laid his forehead on the cool porcelain.

He later left the room and found Axel. He didn't mention anything about what just happened and instead focused on the test he was going to have to perform for Squall.

The fear of what was happening and what it meant for the future singed into mind but for now it was nothing, denial was all he had.

* * *

"Took you guys long enough." Squall commented with annoyance as he waited on the far side of the field that lay in the giant square the building encompassed. Shrugging it off, Roxas walked towards the man while taking in his surroundings without thinking about it.

The area seemed bigger than what he had expected from looking down at it. There was a large expanse of grass without any trees or shrubs covering it and over in a corner there was a small pond. Turning his head the other way he noticed a reasonable sized garden that spouted a number of fruits and vegetables.

"Calm down Leon, he's here now isn't he?" Axel said stretching his arms out with a grin plastered on his face.

This comment instigated a low look towards the red head. "Don't call me that." He turned his gaze towards Roxas as he shifted his footing. "I read in the reports that you wield the keyblade and that you have displayed signs of developing powers as well. Though from what I heard from Yuna you have little control over them. That paired with the fact that you already have the physical armament of wings makes you quite the exception."

Roxas tucked his hands in his hoodie as he kept his gaze locked on the man before him. He didn't like the way that this conversation was heading. Squall continued "Therefore the test that you will participate in will be a simple three on one fight to see how you can handle yourself. Mind you we will be using our powers and weapons so be on guard. The test will continue until I have made a decision."

"Isn't that dangerous, I mean were all wielding powerful weapons.

Squall pointed his head to the side as he explained, "We will have Yuna put a barrier on all our weapons so they won't do any real damage." Yuna was walking over from where she was just putting up barriers on important parts of the building that may get in the way towards them. Summoning his keyblade he allowed her to start the process of putting a lightly tinged blue barrier on it.

As she did this, Squall continued on with what he had been saying, "You will be going up against Yuffie, Me and since Axel is here already, him. I'll give you a moment to prepare. Axel, come over here with me, Yuna come to our weapons when you're done with his." Walking towards Squall, Axel shot Roxas an encouraging look.

Yuna finished quickly and went to do the same for the other team's weapons but not before shooting Roxas an encouraging smile.

Turning his head forward, Roxas took stock of the ground he could possibly use to his advantage in the coming fight. A rock formation was to his left and could be used for cover from Axels' fire. He wasn't sure what Squall was capable of so that would have to be dealt with in time. There were a couple of trees dotting the landscape, yes; he could use those to his advantage.

His gaze moved towards his opponents to see Yuffie had shown up and was taking the time to stretch out. When she saw he was looking at her he earned a huge wave his way. He gave a small wave her way in return. Squall, seeing this, shook his head but Roxas skillfully ignored him.

"I take it you're ready." Squall finally said as he motioned for Yuna to get out of the way. "Now on my count we will begin and remember when you hear me say stop, stop." Roxas nodded only half listening as he continued taking in the environment. The fresh memories of his fight with Sephiroth worming their way into his head making him think that that there was no way this would be as hard as a fight with him.

"Three." He saw Axel shake out his arms in preparation.

"Two." His body tightened in preparation as he bent his knees.

"One!" Roxas, barely listening now, sprang high into the air with his wings outstretched missing a shurikan that would have hit him dead on by mere inches. He reached the height of two stories before reorienting his body and pushing hard with his wings in order to dive towards Yuffie.

He hit her on the shoulder with a swift smack of the keyblade and dodged a swipe of the gunblade as it tried to hit him the legs. A simple jumped saved him this pain as Yuffie fell to the ground from the force of his blow as she tried to roll. Dodging out of the reach of another swipe, he pulled his wings out and pushed them back hard to send himself flying backwards at a greater speed to avoid the red energy that was emitted from the gunblade.

A hiss of air warned him of an incoming as he ducked behind a tree to witness a Chakram ram into before falling to the ground thanks to the blue tint preventing it from embedding itself deep with the tree.

Roxas went on the offensive as he dove low missing the plume of fire that shot overhead. Reaching the creator of this said fire he raised his hand close to the man's face and let loose the small light he could manage. A cry of pain was his reward as he ducked away once more to avoid yet another string of shuriken that flew through the air.

Hitting Axel in the legs he jumped upwards to get to the ninja in the tree. Mid jump he was tackled by what he guessed to be Squall by the flash of brown he saw. They hit the ground hard leaving Roxas a bit dazed but with the training of Sephiroth pumping much needed adrenaline through his veins he quickly reclaimed the situation by rolling away from Squalls clutches. A shot rang out before he could escape and he felt a bullet of energy hit him in the side sending some of his air out of his lungs.

'ADAPT OR DIE!,' Rang in his head as felt the pain reach his brain in a single sweep.

Growling he turned on his toes in a single movement and brought keyblade down upon the man's shoulder with a thunk. Not being able to focus on Squall, he was forced to dodge another Chakram as Axel ran towards them letting them fly forward. Without thinking he brought his wings out menacingly in an instinctive move to make himself appear larger.

Another hiss of air was heard as he shifted his position but not soon enough for a shuriken clipped his lower wings as he pulled them down to lift himself into a high jump to get away from the crowd that was converging on him.

Doing a back flip he saw, for a brief second, some people peering through the barrier laden windows watching the fight ensue. Returning back to the ground he left a skid in the grass as he regained his footing. A quick dodge roll saved him from having singed wings as Axel came upon him in a rush. Metal clanged as he brought up his keyblade in an offensive maneuver. Chakrams tangled with the keyblade as they both fought for dominance in this tug of war. Even in battle Axels' face held a smirk as he said "Holding yourself pretty well Blonde but try this in for size."

The chakrams were alight in fire a second later causing Roxas to break away lest he get burned. A shurikan whistled his way towards his back so with a smirk he rolled out the way as the shuriken hit Axel in the chin knocking him a few steps back. Not letting the Red Head recover, Roxas darted forward to hit in the stomach but underestimated Axel and got a Chakram shoved in his gut.

Breathing hard Roxas pushed back with his wings, twirled around not unlike a deadly ballerina, and fell upon Squall. Their blades a flurry of action until they broke apart suddenly upon hearing the two others ready to join the fray. Squall let out a tiny smile before straightening up and motioning to the others to converge.

Roxas saw from his peripheral vision that Axel was two feet from the crooked rock and Yuffie was swinging from the trees. Squall was right in front of him putting on a show that he was unimpressed with the show so far. Tucking his wings in tight to protect them from further injure Roxas planned his attack in a split second.

Trusting that this would work he threw his keyblade not unlike a boomerang, towards the gunblade specialist and jumped at the ninja as she jumped out of her tree cover. Coming right upon her, he summoned his keyblade away from were Squall had thrown it in anger after it deflected against his gunblade and into his hands. Yuffie let out a squeak as he drove it into her ribs hard. She went down and was out for the count.

Axel was on him before he knew what happened and had grabbed his wrist. Roxas attempted to twist out of the grip but before he could free himself Roxas found himself upside down and then thrown onto the ground. Instinct came into play as Roxas gasped for breath and rolled out of the way before the Chakram that got embedded into the earth was shoved into his gut. Half crawling half running Roxas put some distance between him and his two opponents.

Axel pulled his Chakram out of the ground and brushed the dirt off of it casually. Squall had long since recovered from the keyblade throw and was standing laid back like having not moving an inch from when the keyblade was thrown at him. Roxas didn't move. Sephiroth had tricked him to many times to let his guard down to make him do it now.

Squall walked forward with his gunblade resting on his shoulder. Roxas tensed up and took a couple steps back, wings upraised once more in case he had to evade quickly.

"Stop, good job Roxas. That was well done." Coming from the often silent man before him, that was a heavy compliment. But before Roxas could respond he heard clapping coming from the corner of the field. Roxas looked to see Cloud and Commander Mickey walking towards them. Cloud had a look of pride on his face as he gazed at his brother.

Drawing up to them Commander looked Roxas dead in the eye and with a smile he simply said. "I think we have a faction for you."

* * *

**And another chapter is done, whooot for that. So please review and tell me what you thought so I can get better and make this story even more amazing. And I will also dance around if you do.**

**Update: Man was a weirdo when I wrote this...  
**


	13. Chapter 13

"So were just supposed to walk into this place and see if it's safe for the Collectors?" Roxas asked. He was currently crouched behind a building that was across from the parking lot that led to 'Onion Knights Foods.' Axel was behind him leaning against the wall playing with his phone, by the looks of it he was playing Tetris. Seeing that Axel had ignored his question, Roxas nudged him with his foot until he closed his phone.

Axel rolled his eyes at Roxas as he stuck his phone in his pocket and leaned over him uncomfortably close for Roxas could feel his heart beat even faster than normal in result. Returning back to his original position of leaning against the wall, Axel answered "That's the mission isn't it?" The red head didn't seem too worried from his body language and voice. His laid back attitude was in place instead of his on edge one.

Roxas returned his gaze back to the grocery store as he peeked back out at the seemingly empty parking lot. It was early morning and a light breeze was blowing and the threat of a Heartless attack out in the sun was diminished to almost nonexistent.

During the daylight hours Heartless holed themselves up in old abandoned buildings and alley ways, basically any genuine shadow. Anywhere the sun didn't reach was fair game for them. Though even without the Heartless threat looming over them like a gun ready to shoot they still had to worry about the roaming gangs and military operatives that wouldn't be dissuaded by the light.

Axel and Roxas had been sent out on this mission to scout out a Grocery Store for food and to see if gangs or Heartless had started calling it home. It had the possibilities to be a dangerous mission if the wrong circumstances arose.

Though from how Axel was acting this was going to be a stroll in the park and maybe it would be. Roxas had no experience on mission prior to this since this was his first one. He had joined the Operations faction a week ago before this. Over that week he had learned the basics that ran the Faction as well as the headquarter that housed them. Axel was the one that helped him the most but even with this time together Roxas still didn't know that much about the man, all he knew was that the trust of their experiences made him easy to be around.

It was also worth mentioning that his shoulder bullet wound and the slice in his arm had healed to scars with the help of Aerith pouring her magic into them to speed up the healing.

Roxas had thought, prior to joining, that the Operations faction went on huge secret missions and other elaborate affairs but upon joining the ranks he learned that mission by the likes of this were common and many operatives did them daily. Not that he begrudged this fact; Roxas knew he had to do his part in keeping the headquarters up and running especially since it was what saved his brothers and so many different people.

There wasn't much else he could do anyways.

The only thing that made him on edge, besides the possibilities of gangs creeping up on them, was the fact that Sora still had not returned though he was due back three days ago. When he asked the Commander or Cloud about it they put on a façade and repeated the fact that he was with one of their top agents and that the mission had no set deadline just predictions on when they would be back.

Those reassurances did nothing to halt Roxas's growing worry about what could have happened to his twin brother.

A brief shake of his shoulders brought Roxas from his thoughts and to the present. He saw Axel was pointing his finger at something around the bend and wanted him to see. Following the point of the digit, Roxas saw a group of people walking into the parking lot and towards the Grocery Store. Doing a quick count Roxas saw there was just over ten of them. A few of them had guns but from how they looked and acted, they were not military.

The group looked on edge as they crossed the open parking lot towards the grocery store. They were armed with guns and all had an arm blue arm band attached to their biceps all embezzled with a sign that Roxas couldn't distinguish from this far away.

They were talking, that much Roxas could tell, but from so far away he couldn't catch anything that they were saying. He just knew that by their body language they were agitated and scared. The group eventually entered the store and disappeared out of sight. Roxas started forward to investigate but he felt a hand pull him back from going any further forward.

Looking back he saw Axel no longer leaning against the wall but behind him shaking his head in a simple no, his eyes narrowed and his laid back demeanor disappearing with each passing second.

"No go Roxas, we're only two people and that was the Blue Moons." Axel said as he stepped back into the shadows of the building. Roxas had heard about the Blue Moons from Cloud and various other operatives. Supposedly they were one of the more prominent gangs in the city, rivaling the Orange Eagles in size. Though from what he had heard they weren't nearly as cruel as the Wood Crows or as peaceful as the Dagger Suns.

This was the first he had seen of any of them besides the brief supposed sighting of them from on top of the headquarters.

"So what do we do now?" Roxas asked looking back at the once again empty parking lot. The shadows of the lamp polls leaned over menacingly daring anyone to pass under them.

Axel hesitated before starting to answer but before he could say anything a scream erupted from the grocery store along with bursts of gunfire. Roxas felt his gut wrench as he guessed at what was happening inside that store. He went to lean over to get a better look but a hand once again pulled him back.

Axel shook his head with a grimace on his face. "We can't Roxas."

Ignoring the warning Roxas shrugged off the hand and leaned over to look back at the grocery store.

He saw bursts of gunfire light up the store in varied intervals and it displayed a gruesome scene. Huge shadows that oozed liquid jumped on the smaller shadows wielding guns and other colored flashes showed powers being displayed. Slowly but surely the bigger shadows were winning against the smaller ones.

The Blue Moons didn't stand a chance.

Axel had started walking away but Roxas stood his ground fighting about what to do. That group had kids his age in it and they were about to die just like that.

He could walk away and forget what had transpired but could he really do that? Walk away and let these people die without trying to do something to prevent it?

Axel had stopped his progression and Roxas saw that he was gazing at him with an empty look and immediately Roxas knew that Axel didn't like this any better than he did. The difference was Axel could walk away and probably had before but Roxas wasn't so sure he could.

Making up his mind, Roxas shot Axel one last pained look before taking off to run towards the grocery store. He dimly heard Axel shout at him to stop but he was past caring, there was no way he was going to stand by and know people were dying when he could do something to stop it. Keeping his eyes trained on the door the group entered in he ran onward with his wings tight against his back.

Roxas had enough guilt on conscience to allow more to pile on when he could do something about it.

Reaching the front door he opened it quietly and snuck in trying not alert his presence to anything in the store. Creeping forward behind the shelves of food he saw the Heartless had cornered the group of people in the middle of the store, barraging them on all sides. Luckily they were in an aisle so the shelves that once held food gave them some protection. The people though were barely holding their own as only a direct hit of a bullet to their heart like organ could down a Heartless.

The ones with powers were doing their best but evidently that wasn't good enough for the Heartless didn't seem that deterred at all. Half the group was down already from the first wave of attack. Roxas knew he had to act fast if he wanted to save any of the survivors.

Low the ground, he dashed forward creeping up behind the preoccupied Heartless. Roxas had been training almost nonstop with Yuna the past week and now he had more of a handle on his powers.

He tossed up his free hand and felt the familiar tug in his gut that accompanied the light pouring out of the ground. It roared along the ground, the light spiking up from the bursts of energy, and sent the grocery store tiles flying into the air along with a few display stands.

Some the Heartless turned around to investigate the noise but it was too late for them to act when they realized what was coming at them. The light slammed into them and vaporized them instantly, scattering their essence to the wind. Upon hitting the first wall of Heartless the light dissipated. It was then did the Heartless take notice of what had occurred reacting like animals to swarm towards the new heart perceiving him as the bigger threat.

They crawled and ran, pushing over the shelving on their flight towards him and scratching up the floor with their long claws leaving gashes like wounds on the floor.

Roxas summoned his keyblade while he skidded to a halt and hunkered down for the fight. His hands emitted a steady glow of light as Roxas kept his power on the surface so it wouldn't take as much energy to call upon it again. The light they provided in the dimly lit store also didn't hurt his chances at fending off the Heartless.

When the closest ones were in range, Roxas acted swiftly. He swung his keyblade neatly through a row of them before reorienting his swing into the ones that attempted to flank him to the right. A Heartless leapt out of the crowd of them and swung for his throat with a swing of his deadly claws. Roxas cleaved it in two before it could succeed in its goal but he got clawed on the cheek by the deflected talons.

Ignoring the small pain that stung his cheek, Roxas instead dodged another blow from the increasing number of Heartless that came at him. Roxas jumped onto a display table while swinging his keyblade outward once more retreating from the dangerous claws the Heartless wielded with surprising proficiency.

The Heartless continued to push forward ignoring the fallen Heartless around them and clawed up at the display stand trying to get at Roxas. In defense Roxas sent out a burst of light that vaporized a Heartless to his right and then jumped off the display stand just as it was toppled over by the increasing swarm of Heartless.

Gritting his teeth, Roxas swung in a large arc trying to stave off the Heartless before they advanced again. The smart thing would be to get the hell out of this place but Roxas knew he couldn't abandon the people in the store fighting for their lives. He could see out of the corner of his eye another one had fallen to the ground likely to never rise again.

Diverting his attention back to his fight Roxas saw a larger Heartless push its way out of the crowd of Heartless and darted towards Roxas with speed that shouldn't have been allowed for one of its size. Roxas readied another burst of light but before he could release it the Heartless burst into fire. It let out a strangled cry before dropping to the ground already starting to dissolve.

A chakram whizzed by quickly followed by another as more Heartless were decimated by their deadly accuracy. Roxas didn't bother looking back as he battled the hoard but felt a wave of relief course over him all the same.

In the back of his mind he had been afraid Axel had continued to walk away.

Axel appeared beside him and guarded his side keeping the Heartless from overwhelming him as Roxas did the same for him. Roxas twirled around keeping his back to Axels as he brought his keyblade down upon an enemies head. He could feel Axel shift his muscles in his back as he threw his chakram into the crowd and sliced his other one into a Heartless that leapt at Roxas.

Axel then threw both Chakrams into the fray and brought both of hands up as fire streamed out of them creating a ring of flames around the two Nobodies. It rained down upon the Heartless but did no damage to the store itself. As Axel concentrated on this, Roxas shifted this way and that greeting any Heartless that made it through the fire with his keyblade.

Knowing that they had to speed this up if they wanted to save the people that still stood, Roxas resolved himself for what he had to do and hoped he didn't use too much energy in his attempt. He did a big sweep with his keyblade giving him enough breathing room for a brief second. This allowed him to slam his hands down on the floor sending out another shockwave of light.

Axel, seeing Roxas prepare for this, did the same unleashing more fire so it intermingled with the light. Together the shockwave arced around them and spread out killing all Heartless that got in the way and toppling over any grocery shelves in its radius.

Standing up straight he felt the weight of keyblade fall into his hand as he instinctively brought it forth in case the assault wasn't over. Looking to his side he saw Axel giving him an angry look which Roxas looked away from. He knew that he had put them at risk but he also knew that if he hadn't done anything he would have changed and he didn't think he could stand anymore shifts in his personality right now.

So ignoring the look Axel was boring into the back of his skull, Roxas walked forward to the carnage that was the remains of the Blue Moons group.

One still stood among the corpses of his once comrades. He had brownish blond hair and a blue bandana wrapped around his head that was spattered with blackness along with a blue vest was cut multiple places and blood ran down it mixing with blackness. The man didn't look good by the looks of it and Roxas wondered if he would be able to survive much longer.

The man leaned against the shelf using it to support his body off the ground and pointed a shaking assault rifle at Roxas as his eyes were filled with fear and hopeless sadness as a result of seeing all his companions brutally slaughtered before his eyes.

Roxas in turn let his keyblade disappear and lifted up his hands to show he meant no ill will towards the man but was prepared to dodge if the man chose not to believe him. The trembling continued causing the fun to rattle but it was soon lowered as the man's legs gave out and he slumped to the ground leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Roxas instantly knew this man had a lethal hit and wouldn't last much longer judging by the amount of blood and the overall tinge to the air. Walking slowly over he saw the man was fumbling around in his vests with shaking movements as he fought off deaths cruel grip for a few more moments.

Closing the gap between them Roxas kneeled beside him, a lost expression on his face as the helplessness washed over him as he knew he could do nothing for this man, not even ease the pain of his passing. The man's fumbling stopped as he brought out a shuddering hand that held something. He grabbed Roxas's hand and motioned for him to lean forward.

Roxas did so knowing full well the vulnerable position he was in but curiosity mixed with sympathy won in the end. The man shoved something into his hand and whispered "Backroom has…information. Please, save….them." Roxas pulled back, confusion evident on his face, but the man only leaned back and emitted a sigh. His whole body shuddering as he accepted death and went still.

Pulling back Roxas felt his heart reach out to the dead man knowing if he had acted soon maybe he wouldn't be dead. He had seen death at the institute so many times but never so close up and never this personal.

He stood up and looked down at the man who might have been anything but someone had cared about him, he wasn't just a Nobody. His gaze flickered at the man's group that surrounded him knowing full well the memories and lives they once had were gone forever and nothing could bring them back.

They were crumpled on the ground in various places with pieces missing from them that the Heartless had ripped away from them as they had tried to get to the people's hearts. Looking away he found Axel close by with confusion and anger awash in his features. Roxas knew he should say something to explain his rash actions but when he opened his mouth nothing came forward.

Tension filled the silent air as everything went still. As if not being able to take it anymore, Axel walked up to Roxas and grabbed him by the collar of his sweatshirt and brought his face close to his own. His green eyes were inches away from Roxas's blue and Roxas could feel Axels' breath on his face as the anger washed off of him. Confused eyes delved deeply into his as if trying to find the answers to the questions he yearned for.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Axel demanded, his voice shaking with barely suppressed anger. His tone was low and dangerous, just like Sephiroth's got before he did something unpredictable and dangerous. Roxas didn't back down from the stare as he never had done with Sephiroth's or anyone else's for that matter.

Grabbing at the hand that held him and gripping it tightly, Roxas said "I couldn't walk away."

"Like hell you could! You didn't know what you were running into, the possibilities, heck it could have been a trap. Instead you ran in here like some Rambo wannabe!" The anger was clearly apparent now with no effort put forth to hide it. Though he wasn't yelling, his tone of voice displayed much more fury than yelling ever could have.

This time Roxas did look away. It was true, all those possibilities that Axel rattled off could have easily have happened and then what would have happened to him?

Trying to take control of the situation Roxas said back forcefully "How could you just walk away so easily! I know what I did was stupid but I did what I had to do." As he said this he felt his wings fluff up from anger and hoped that Axel didn't notice.

"No, you did what you did on impulse. This isn't all sugar and rainbows Roxas, this place is Hell and any wrong move can mean death for you or someone else!" Right after he said that Axel regretted it, he let his grip on the collar loosen.

Rage filled the Roxas' eyes as he let out a low growl and broke away from the hold. But as quickly as the rage appeared it disappeared in a flash as Roxas broke his gaze away and tightened his hands into fist. It wasn't until a second later did Roxas look back up to stare at Axel with an eerie calmness that unsettled even himself before he was able to reply.

"No Axel, I know what hell is and this place isn't it." Roxas said his blue eyes piercing green.

Radio static erupted from the dead man's vest filling the air like a splash of yellow paint on black. Axel and Roxas slowly stepped away from each other as they realized what might have occurred if that radio hadn't interrupted their argument.

"Team Triforce, are you there? Did you retrieve the information?" Axel broke the stare down with Roxas and walked towards the recently deceased man being careful not to step on any of the dead man's comrades. Moving his hand under the bloodied blue vest he pulled out a damaged, but still working, walkie talkie that was blaring with sound.

"I repeat, Team Triforce, pick up. Did you retrieve the information?" The sound of a scuffle was heard briefly as if the walkie talkie was being fought over.

Silence was heard for a few seconds leaving Roxas and Axel to stare at it with confused expressions.

Soon a new voice entered the fray as the walkie talkie started up once more "Please Locke pick up! Did you find information on the captives!" It was a woman's voice who was clearly in distress. Obviously she was putting too much information into open airwaves as the walkie talkie was taken from her violently. After that it went quiet as the dangers of communicating became too much under the compiling risks.

"Save them?" Roxas said quietly to himself as he remembered the dead man's words. He brought his hand up and opened it slowly to reveal a very crumpled up piece of lined paper. On it was a coordinates and a list of names. Roxas read through the said names quickly seeing random ones such as Terra, Xion, and then…and then Sora's.

Roxas felt like the breath had been punched out of him as he read the name over and over again. He wanted to believe it wasn't his brother but it even had last names and not many people had the name Sora.

The world swirled around Roxas as he realized why his brother had not come returned to the headquarters. Something had happened on his mission and he had been taken.

Information in the back the man had said Roxas remembered. Holding onto the piece of paper as if it was a life line Roxas headed towards the back of the store. It got darker as the light from the sun emitting from the windows receded, Roxas raised a hand and light lit of the space around him. He heard Axel walking behind him but he was too focused on finding this backroom to care.

Display stands encompassed the back wall bare and dusty as the fruit and vegetables they once held were long gone. His eyes searched for a door fervently as he walked down the back wall. Reaching the end of the wall he saw a door labeled employees only. Not stopping to answer any of the questions Axel was asking, Roxas strode forward and opened the door.

Well that's what he would have done if the door wasn't locked. Trying to open it more forcefully the door still remained jammed. Getting frustrated at this impediment to his progression he summoned his keyblade and rammed it down onto the door without thinking about thinking of the possible consequences. The top half shattered upon impact and the rest splintered apart as the keyblade tore through it.

Roxas let his keyblade go as he carefully stepped over the shards of wood and into a room that was filled with glowing red computer screens that illuminated the room with the harsh red light. The light showered enough light into the room that Roxas was able to make out the symbols that represented the Military on various pieces of equipment that adorned the room. It was on the notebooks scattered on the ground and the computers.

Roxas wasted no time with entering the room to find any information he could on what happened to Sora. Out of the corner of his eye he saw what remained of the military personal that must have been stationed here. Their bodies had been torn apart by the Heartless and huge gaping holes were on their chests where their hearts had been ripped out.

Though Roxas had no love for the military and what they did. He knew that some were just regular people swept up in this mess and had been promised adventure and helping mankind prosper. At the institute when Roxas made it his mission to gain information that could help him escape he had met a lot of people that had been tricked into joining. Ones who truly they thought they were doing good.

But on the other hand he met a hell lot more who knew exactly what was going on and still participating.

Tearing his gaze away from the remnants of the people, Roxas wandered over to the computers and saw that the mainframes were all displaying an error message. Axel could be heard looking around the room as Roxas pondered what his next step should be. He didn't know if he should try and mess with the computers and attempt to retrieve information or look at the various papers that lay on the ground to try and derive information from them.

Before he could make up his mind Axel spoke with a hint of anger still in his voice "Enough is enough Roxas, what are you looking for and what did that guy say?" Roxas turned around and looked at Axel trying to determine if he should tell Axel what happened.

Though Roxas was still a bit peeved at what happened previously he knew that he would have to show Axel it sooner or later. Roxas shoved his hand toward Axel wordlessly and opened his grip to show the document the man had given him.

Axel took the crumpled up piece of paper and skimmed it over while Roxas deeming the computers to dangerous to mess with, looked over the various pieces of paper on the floor trying to gain insight into his brothers disappearance.

Axels' eyes widened as he read the names of the operatives that were sent out to recover information on subject X were listed on the page. That's why Roxas freaked out and came tumbling back here; it was because his brother's name was on the paper. Feeling a ping of pity in his gut, Axel brushed it way by voicing the one thought that still plagued his mind.

"You didn't answer all my questions, what did the guy say to you before he died?" He put a hand on Roxas's shoulder to still him so he would focus on the question. Roxas started to pull away from the grip until he dropped his shoulders and turned his head to face Axel.

"He said 'Backroom has information, please save them' and then he died." Roxas said without stuttering. Seeing Axel was done with his questions he pulled away and took up his search again. There were too many papers to look through by himself so Roxas straightened up and caught Axels eyes. It wasn't easy either for Axel looked to be a million miles away at the moment.

"Are you going to just stand there or are you going to help me find information that might lead us to them?" Roxas said with just a bit of desperation mixed with anger in his voice. Going back to his search with renewed vigor Roxas felt relieved when he heard Axel take up the search behind him. He was still a bit angry at what happened prior to right now but was willing to put that off for Sora.

The search went on as Roxas sorted through folder after folder of useless information. He saw Axel didn't think the same way because he stored some of the papers in a pocket in his trench coat to take back to headquarters.

Time passed and the words on the papers flew together and became a blur as the cuts on his cheek stung from the blackness invading under his skin. Wiping it quickly with the back his hand he continued his so far fruitless search in hope of finding anything that would point them in the right direction. He had the coordinates on the piece of paper but he didn't know if they were for the store they were standing in or some other nonsense that wouldn't help them find Sora.

About to give up Roxas noticed a folder out of the corner of his eye that was wedged under the desk that stood on the far side of the tiny room. Walking over to it, he pulled it out. He looked at it slowly before opening it expecting another dead end. Instead his eyes widened as he saw schematics of military buildings that looked to be in the city. Looking at the small piece of paper the dead man had handed to him Roxas saw that the coordinates matched up with one of the buildings. Roxas stood up and started to walk towards Axel to show him it.

A slam of the front door shook the building and caused Roxas to stop dead in his tracks. Axel had gone stock still as well and had a strained look on his face as he prepared for all the possibilities that slam of the door brought. Roxas heard footsteps resound in the store as from what he could tell came from two people The footsteps stopped and the faintest whispers of a conversation fell onto his ears as he stuffed the folder quietly into his hoodie pocket, folding it carefully hotdog style.

"Looks like someone came here and finished them off for us, too bad. I was looking forward to taking them down. The military has us on such short leashes sometimes." A definite female voice dragged out.

Using his honed muscles, Roxas crept forward not making a sound as the months of stealth training paid off. Axel didn't try and stop him but instead moved behind him being equally quiet. Standing on either side of the blown open door they peeked over slightly, taking the necessary precautions not to be spotted. They were lucky that the some of the grocery shelves had been tipped over for it allowed them to see what was going on.

Two people stood at the far end of the grocery store standing by the fallen Blue Moons group and disregarding the multiple dead heartless that were already starting to disintegrate into nothingness around them.

The specks of black particles floated to the air around them making creating an ominous scene.

Hoods obscured their features and made them unidentifiable in the darkness of the grocery store.

"Calm down Larxene, all is well." The bigger one of two said clearly male by the stature and lowness of his voice. "Now why don't you search these corpses while I look why the military outpost hasn't called in." He waved a hand at her squawks of protest and walked down the corridors of the empty grocery shelves towards the room the two Nobodies were hiding in.

Roxas swept the room looking for any possible escape route but no windows and no doors were seen accept the one they had come into. Cursing silently for his rashness at how he opened the door, Roxas waited for the opportunity to either take this man down or make a run for it. He looked towards Axel who looked to be pondering the same question.

"Well well looks like someone has been here already as well." The man said as he slowly approached the wrecked door. Axel gave him the hand symbol they had both agreed upon before leaving for this once simple mission.

It was the sign to run.

Roxas gave a curt nod in reply, his face set in determination.

Readying himself, Roxas pushed himself further against the wall as Axel did the same on the adjacent side. Wings pressed as flat as they would go, Roxas waited for their chance to escape. The door was pulled open and the man stepped into the light of the red glow giving him a menacing appearance.

He was about as tall as Axel but more heavily built and wearing what could only be described as a long black coat. Roxas couldn't tell if it was the light playing tricks or not but from a brief glimpse it looked like the man had pink hair hiding in the depths of the hood.

The man stepped farther into the room without noticing the two Nobodies that hid in the shadows as he investigated what might have occurred in the room and who might have caused it. Axel gave the signal again and Roxas nodded. Wincing as his sneakers made a squeak on the floor; Roxas darted out the door and sprinted down the corridor with Axel right behind him.

The man turned around and saw the receding figures of the two Nobodies and cursed before taking off after them. Larxene looked up upon hearing her partner curse and the noise of two people running towards her.

A wicked smile caressed her features as she said vindictively "Finally, some action."

With a cry of delight, she summoned her knives from a burst of electricity and threw them with deadly accuracy towards the fleeing figures. Axel, noticing Larxene prepare for this, tackled Roxas to the ground just as a spew of dagger flew overhead right where they would have been moments before.

Scrambling forward off the ground Roxas regained his footing and with a push from Axel he was off again towards the now broken open glass doors. Axel followed after but not before summoning Chakram lit on fire and throwing it towards Larxene.

Larxene dodged it neatly as her Partner ran by her on his way to stop them. She slowly followed after him, feeling the flames on her back from a disappearing weapon, knowing that this day had just gotten a hell of a lot more interesting.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it because it makes me happy when you do. Please review for it makes me happy and when I am happy I tend to write the next chapter faster.**


	14. Chapter 14

Agh, I didn't know links wouldn't show up when I tried to insert one so now I just feel like a dork.

You sick of the childlike Roxas that is inserted into most fanfictions? Well this is the fanficiton for you where Roxas is Bad Ass and takes no shit from anyone! WHoooooOooo.

Ok I'm done, just felt the need to express myself for a brief moment, Annways I do not own anything but how I wish I did.

* * *

Roxas and Axel burst into the sunlight as they sprinted forward, not really knowing where they would go but anywhere that wasn't near the Military Personal was better than here. The parking lot stretched far in front of them as they ran across it. Axel hoped they could make it into an alleyway where they might be able to lose their pursuers

"Not so fast!" The man behind them cried. His powers tore through his mortal coil as they left him to range out far underground. The plants heard his orders and responded quickly shaking the earth vigorously in the process. Roots broke through the pavement and jutted out in all directions to create a wall around the parking lot leaving no escape routes open.

Roxas and Axel skidded to a halt as they searched for a way out of this death trap. Roxas felt his wings expand without him knowing as the instinct to fly almost overwhelmed him. He still did not know how to and even if he did, he doubted he would be able to lift both himself and Axel off the ground high enough to get over the barrier created by the roots. Cursing his uselessness in this department Roxas summoned his keyblade in hope they could hack their way out of this situation.

Beside him Axel summoned his chakrams and lit them on fire in a brief second. Thinking the same thing as Roxas, he hurled them towards the plants and was surprised to see them bounce off the roots and clatter to the ground before disappearing. Where they had hit the roots was undamaged except for the barest of scratches on the surface. Axel let out a growl of frustration before turning towards the grocery store, he saw that the Military Nobodies had long since exited and now were standing patiently waiting for Axel and Roxas to acknowledge them.

"Marluxia, did you see the wings on that one?" Larxene said casually while inspecting her fingernails. This was a redundant motion though as her hands were covered by black gloves that obscured said nails.

"I did see him Larxene. I do believe that is the infamous Subject 7 we've been hearing about. Doesn't the military want him back or something? Those meetings they make us attend are dreadfully boring." Marluxia commented. Roxas flinched upon hearing these words. Though he had knew it to be nigh impossible and just idle fancy. Roxas had liked to think that the Military had too much on its plate to even think about trying to get him back. But upon hearing those words, Roxas's hope shattered.

"What do you think we should do with them?" Larxene asked she pulled back her hood to reveal bright yellow hair that sprouted out two tresses that were lifted slightly above her head and pulled back. They reminded Roxas of the antenna you would find on a cockroach.

"I assume we're supposed to capture subject 7 alive and take him back but that seems like an awful lot of work now doesn't it." Marluxia answered as he looked the two Nobodies up and down like a cat that had just cornered its dinner. A grin was starting to play at his features as he mulled over his thoughts.

"Yes, it does seem like a lot of work. We found them dead in the grocery store, obviously assaulted by Heartless and the Blue Moons alike. Poor things never stood a chance." She said with fake pity. When she finished a sneer untwined and spread across her face, the thought obviously pleased her.

Marluxia nodded in agreement as he pulled down the hood that hid his head. A cascade of flower petals fell down in the course of this action and fluttered about as his mane of pink hair was uncovered.

Roxas would have laughed if their situation wasn't so life threatening.

"Roxas, I'll go for the flower boy, you take down the bitch." Axel said out of the corner of his mouth. Roxas looked at him out of the edges of his vision and did a short nod. That Heartless battle had taken its toll on them that was for sure. When they had searched the base they had had some time to recover their strength but they were far from as prepared as they could be. Though that didn't mean they weren't going to go down with a fight

"Let's see how much strength subject 7 really possesses. The way Xemnas talks about him you think he would be the next Sephiroth." The flower man said as he held up his hand and summoned a large scythe. He grabbed a hold of it and swung it down menacingly. As the blade sliced through the air more petals were summoned and scattered in the wind to create a dazzling picture fit for the front cover of a romance novel.

Larxene just rolled her eyes in the background at this display as electricity crackled up and down her arms. The urge to fight was growing inside of her. The military had kept them on leashes long enough. This was their time to have some fun.

Axel locked his eyes with Marluxia and brought forth his Chakrams in a burst of fire and threw them towards Marluxia in an instant. In defense Marluxia brought up his scythe vertically and the Chakrams rammed into it still spinning from their momentum. Axel was upon him a second later to grab a hold of his weapons and to bore down upon the Military dog.

They grappled for a moment with neither party gaining any ground. Axel gritted his teeth and glared at the man in front of his face as he felt some sweat drip down the side of his face from exertion. Marluxia simply smiled ominously before breaking the hold and jumped backwards a few feet. Landing lightly on his feet, Marluxia ripped his weapon through the air manipulating the air currents in such a way that vortex of wind was sent towards Axel.

He quickly brought up his chakrams in front of him to form a rudimentary shield, the wind punched into them at such a force though it sent him skidding a few feet back as he braced through the attack. With a herculean effort, Axel pulled his weapons apart, breaking the air current in the process.

Axel ran towards the opposite nobody as he brought his hand up in a quick movement bending the fire within him to his will. Fire exploded from the ground and jumped towards the scythe wielder.

Marluxia, seeing the man coming towards him at such a fast pace, barely had enough time to bring his weapon up to attack when a spew of flame was fired towards him. The fabric on his arm lit on fire as he used his right arm to stave off the attack and used the other arm that was holding the scythe to block the two chakrams that were rammed into his face with a surprising amount of force.

Axel used this leverage to his advantage as he dominated over than man. Pushing him down with all his might he was able to unsteady the man to such a degree that he tumbled over and fell on his back with Axel on top of him pushing him into the ground, Chakram at his throat, his scythe pinned to the ground by the other.

Even though the man was in this predicament he looked straight into Axels' eyes and appeared to be quite calm. Taken aback by this display, he let his push on the man's throat lessen before recovering a split second later and pushing it further in. Some blood leaked out as a cut was made on the mans throat.

"Take the roots down now!" Axel said with anger in his voice. Axel was getting tired and didn't know how much longer he could last during a fight. He was hoping this would end it quickly.

The man just continued to smile eerily up at him.

Before he could ask again, Axel felt something wrap around his waist. It hauled him into the air for a brief moment before slamming him back down onto the pavement with a single swift moment. Upon impact Axel cracked his head against the ground, biting his tongue from the force. A spew of curses exploded from his mouth.

Marluxia calmly stood up and even had the nerve to tidy himself up a bit while Axle burned through the vine that had him in its grip. Standing up he wiped the trail of blood that had trickled down the side of his mouth and brought his chakrams forth once more before kicking off the ground for another attack aimed at Marluxia.

Meanwhile on the other side of the parking lot Roxas wasn't having any more luck with battling Larxene. Roxas had always thought of himself as being one of the faster fighters and he would play off that to his advantage to defeat opponents twice his strength. But in this fight he held no such advantage as the woman before him danced around him as if this was all a game.

He had at the start of his fight used his wings to dodge help him dodge her but learned the hard way that he wasn't fast enough by getting around four daggers thrown into his them. They were now tightly held against his back, bleeding a bit, so no further damage would come their way.

"Come on now, I was hoping for more of a fight. I don't want to break you just yet." She said as she threw another one of her daggers at him. They crackled with electricity and he could feel the static leap towards him as he barely was able to lean to the side to dodge it. He turned and swung with his keyblade but she was long gone from that position. Behind him her heard her laugh and revolved to face her but was met with a barrage of daggers instead.

He was able to dodge and block most of them but one of them got past his defense and drove itself into his leg just missing a major artery. Now the dagger alone would hurt but the electricity raced through him like if he had been tazered. Holding back a yelp of pain, favoring his good leg, Roxas fought to keep track of her movements in hopes of learning her pattern and avoiding another incident like the one that just occurred.

Sadly what might have worked in "Mike Tyson's Punch-out" didn't fair to well for Roxas in this situation. Larxene kept switching up her tactics every few seconds to confuse him and to keep him on his toes before she got bored and took him down.

But Roxas wasn't going to let her; he was a fighter and he wasn't going to let this bitch be the one to kill him. Taking a moment, he ripped out the dagger that was still embedded in his calf out and threw it where he thought she would be in a second. It was a clumsy move and was quite awkward but it worked out when she moved into the spot the dagger was going before she realized what he had done.

The dagger plunged into her shoulder in a vivid fashion worthy to be shown in an action film. Her response was immediate as her facial and body language changed dramatically. She stumbled in her dodge while she pulled out her own dagger with a swift movement of her free hand. Her face contorted into rage as blood and dark liquid spurted out of her wound in a steady stream.

In her rage she quickly moved her hand in a small movement that sent a chain of electricity shooting towards him. The electricity raced along the ground destroying the pavement where it hit.

Throwing himself to one side, the lightning passed by harmlessly enough. He dove into a roll and came up running ignoring the pain in his calf. With a yell he drove his keyblade quickly into her gut sending her flying backwards. The wound on her shoulder must be affecting her more than he initially thought as she gripped it tight with the rage still apparent on her face.

She darted forward before Roxas could react and grabbed his neck in a forceful grip. Letting his keyblade drop, Roxas instinctively grabbed at the hand that was choking him. In the back of his mind Roxas tried to figure out how such a slight woman could be this strong. Though he was smaller than her he had hoped he would have had the upper hand in this area of the encounter.

Letting out a chocked gasp Roxas felt fury fill his body as he sent out a forceful kick that missed her body but clipped her on the jaw. The grip on his throat lessened so he was able to draw in a deep breath for a moment. With renewed strength he almost broke away but not before she sent an electric shock racing through his body. She let him drop to the ground as his body shook in brief spasms as he fought to regain his footing.

Brining a dagger to her hand she leaned in close, she whispered in his ear as she raised the knife "And I had hoped that the famous subject 7 was actually something worthy of fighting." Roxas eyes opened wide as he fought to control his limbs before she finished him off. The dagger was coming close as she enjoyed the sensation of holding one's life in her hands.

Before the blade completed its quest a foot was planted squarely on the she devils stomach and pushed hard

She stumbled backwards as she let out a string of curses to try and get the air back that was knocked out of her lungs. Roxas stood back up, albeit a little shaky from the electricity and the deep cut in his calf, and felt his wings shudder on his back as he readied his attack. Larxene was vulnerable now; he had to make his move. As Roxas ran towards Larxene to try and take her down.

He could still feel some leftover electricity coursing through his body but tried to not let that hamper his movement. He briefly saw behind her Axel and Marluxia still battling it out with no clear victor as of yet. Roxas hoped that Axel was having better luck than him if they were going to make it out of this.

Axel let out a grunt of frustration as he swung his chakrams at the man before getting deflected by the scythe in the process. Marluxia seemed to have never ending energy as he held up after each strike not showing a crack in his armor. Axel briefly wondered how Roxas was doing as he saw them out of the corner of his eye. Roxas seemed to have some sort of hitch in his step that wasn't allowing him to be fully maneuverable. They had to finish this fast or they weren't going to win.

Instead of instigating fear inside him, that thought drove him forward with a bit more vigor. This flower boy wasn't going to get the best of him.

Thinking fast Axel defended himself from the rain of blows Marluxia was sending down on him as he scoped out the area for any kind of leverage.

The parking lot was barren of any cars and it had just a few light posts sprouting out of the ground here and there. Sadly the fence of roots still stood or Axel and Roxas would have had their escape a long time ago. He could try calling someone on his cell phone but doubted anyone could get here in time and then even if they did how would they get through the wall.

Axel let out a curse as he ducked under yet another swing of the scythe. He looked up and could have sworn he saw frustration on the Military Nobodies face but before he could be sure it was covered up by an air of confidence. Another swing of the scythe came downward upon him but Axel held it at bay with his chakrams.

A plan formed haphazardly in his head as he defended himself from the precise blows. Throwing caution to the wind for the time being, Axel called out to Roxas "Roxas! Come together!" They weren't gaining any ground fighting these guys one on one. Axel thought that maybe if they fought together they would stand a better chance. Or it wouldn't help them, either way they weren't gaining ground fighting alone and their energy was dwindling with each second they fought.

Roxas barely dodged another rain of blows before breaking away from the encounter to make his way towards the edge of the parking lot where Axel was heading.

Axel leapt away from Marluxia and readied himself for the next attack by Roxas. They stood side by side watching how the Military Nobodies would react to their new strategy.

They walked towards one another and had interested looks on their faces. Their faces showed no signs of fear or tenseness.

Roxas and Axel breathed heavily as the fighting took its toll on their bodies. Being Nobodies they possessed far greater stamina, strength and other physical attributes than a normal human being would but in the past two hours they had used a huge amount of their strength and were running out of it.

Marluxia and Larxene stood on the opposite side of the parking lot and though had various cuts on their coats and bodies didn't seem to be as run down as Axel and Roxas. Roxas noticed that like Larxene, Marluxia blood was red but also had blackness mixed in with it.

A ring of a cell phone broke the silence. It rang on until Larxene looked at Marluxia expectantly before saying "You better get that, they only get madder when you wait." She casually pulled off one of her gloves and cut her fingernails with one of her knives as Marluxia dug through his coats pocket.

Axel and Roxas exchanged what the fuck faces as they observed their enemies ignoring them so casually. Axel pinched the bridge of his nose as he said "Seriously?" Roxas quirked his head at the scene trying to figure out how these Nobodies could act like this. Although from their previous fight he had to say that they didn't really need to worry about Axel or him killing them.

"Ello this is Marluxia." Marluxia rubbed his head and had an annoyed look adorned on his face. Larxene just cackled in the background enjoying her partner's misery. "Ugh you can't do this to us five nights in a row. You're going to regret this Saix." Marluxia shut the phone angrily and looked like he wanted to chuck the phone into oblivion but sighed and stuck it back into his pocket instead.

"You got to be kidding me!?" Larxene cried out in frustration. She summoned a hoard of knives and threw them every which way. Axel and Roxas dodged a few but kept watching and exchanging looks every once in a while trying to figure out what to do.

"We have to go, what should we do with them? We had orders to bring him in or to kill if necessary." Marluxia said accessing the situation. This was the first time their attention was redirected back at Axel and Roxas who glared at them with their weapons upraised once more.

A cunning smile found its way upon Larxenes features as she said "What I don't see anyone. If we had seen subject 7 than wouldn't bringing him back help the bastards that are currently screwing us over. Besides doing this might help us with our future plans." She explained to her partner who smiled more and more upon hearing each thought.

He clapped her on the back and said "I couldn't agree more." He turned towards Axel and Roxas and started to walk towards them before stopping midway seeing that the two were about to attack. "You would do well to remember this favor we are bestowing upon you. Until then, au revoir."

He brought up his wrist and passed a hand over what looked like a wrist watch. Darkness leaked from it to form a dark portal behind him. Marluxia turned to look back and shot a deadly smile their way before stepping into it. Larxene did the same as well and gave them the finger as her farewell. And then both were out of sight. The portal dissolved into nothingness leaving no way to follow the two people.

Creaking was heard and as the two Nobodies looked around they saw the roots that surrounded them start to shrivel and die until their carcasses were all that remained. Axel and Roxas stood in the middle of the parking lot with blank looks on their faces as they tried to process what just occurred.

Roxas slowly turned his head while he said "Did they just let us go to spite their bosses?"

"Yeah, I think so…" Axel looked around at the sky and noticed it was about one o'clock. He looked at his partner to see Roxas had multiple cuts on his person. He wasn't doing to hot either with a couple of slices on his body from when he failed to dodge scythe.

Being fully prepared for backlash Axel said "Look, I know you want to find your brother but we need to head back to headquarters." Roxas stood stoically looking back at the grocery store knowing that they would have to leave the bodies there without being able to do anything for them.

"I don't know if I can do that right now." Roxas said as he brought out the folded folder to investigate it more. His body quaked a bit from exhaustion and his leg and wings had blood stains on them but his face was steadfast and showed no signs of weariness besides the small drips of blood that stained his face from his face.

"You can't be serious." Axel said clearly exasperated. "There is no way that you would be able to bust your brother out by yourself even if you weren't so clearly wiped out. Get some sense into that thick head of yours." Roxas stared at him with a bit of a glare. The past argument was bubbling back up and they both could feel it.

Roxas knew he was being difficult but he also knew that somewhere in this big city was his brother, and he was in trouble. The sane side of his brain was telling him to stop being an ass and go back to headquarters and tell Cloud what had happened and get some rest before trying the impossible. But the other side was urging him on to get his brother the hell out of wherever he was.

Wrestling with what he should do, Roxas bit his lip in thought. Breathing in deep Roxas prayed to whoever was listening to let his brother be ok for one more day so Roxas could find him and get him back. He also asked Sora to forgive him. Trying to comfort himself Roxas told himself that no matter what happened at headquarters he was leaving the next day the moment the sun rose.

"Fine, we'll do it your way." Roxas said shortly walking by Axel and heading the direction of the Headquarters.

Axel narrowed his eyes at the receding figure knowing that the Roxas he knew wouldn't have dropped the subject of finding his brother that easily. Something was up or Roxas had a plan. Axel was betting on the latter.

Keeping an eye on him, Axel followed suit. They left the barren parking lot not knowing that being sent on that mission had effectively changed the course of their life forever. Instead the two Nobodies hobbled side by side knowing that at least they had someone they could depend on if worse came to worse. And that's all that someone can ask for sometimes.

* * *

And another one bites the dust. I hoped you enjoyed reading this chapter, halfway through I hit a major roadblock that I was afraid were delrail me but luckilly daydreaming in class saved me! So yay for Imagination and the Lost OST - Life & dead song that I listened to as I wrote this chapter.

So please review. Whenever I see a review in my inbox I feel joy explode in my heart.


	15. Chapter 15

Its my birthday, so my gift to you is this lovely chapter. I hope you all enjoy it and have a wonderful weekend.

And thank you for all the reviews! You have no idea how happy it makes me to know that some people don't think this story is total crap :D

I don't own anything but once I take over the world that will all change mwhaha

* * *

Commander Mickey sat rigidly in his chair as Axel and Roxas gave their report on what occurred during their mission. No emotions flickered on his face as Roxas explained what they had found in the military base or what he believe happened to Sora. Roxas thought he saw uncertainty show on the Commanders face when they told him about the Military Nobodies they had encountered but it disappeared before Roxas could be sure. When they had finished their report Axel had handed over the papers he had managed to collect to the Commander.

It took a look from Axel for Roxas to let go of the piece of lined paper that held his brother's name up to the Commander. He took it in his calloused hand and looked it over briefly before moving onto the folder that held the coordinates that matched the ones on the paper Locke had entrusted with him. The way their leader put the paper to the side made Roxas narrow his eyes in anger.

Standing up straight, Roxas focused on breathing. When he was as the institute and his anger had threatened to ruin everything he had planned, he focused on what it would be like when he had escaped or how he would hurt the people that terrorized him. Now he was focusing on what it would be like when he found Sora. Keeping his cool, Roxas continued to scrutinize the man behind the desk who took his sweet ass time shifting through the piles of information.

Roxas flinched when a warm hand was placed on his shoulder. Shifting his view from the Commanders progress, he looked up at Axel, who despite the injuries he had, gave him a small smile. The smile spoke volumes in the small silent room than saying something ever could.

Appreciating the sentiment, Roxas laid a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. The smile along with the three varied cuts on his face, transformed the expression into a pathetic thing but the effort was there along with the briefest glimmer of hope hidden back in the endless blue that was Roxas' eyes. He moved his head back forward as Axel took his hand back and started concentrating on breathing once more. Thinking back, the memories of the journey here flooded forward with a vicious current before he could halt them.

* * *

The burning inched up his leg with every step he took until his entire leg felt like it was on fire. It was so intense at points he had to look down to make sure his leg hadn't spontaneously combusted without him knowing at some point.

His wings had long since stopped hurting and instead felt oddly numb. He wondered briefly if that was because he was holding them so tightly on his back that blood flow had been stopped but he brushed it off not wanting to move them to find out. The pain starting up wasn't worth the mystery being solved.

Axels' bleeding had long since stopped but something still seemed to be wrong by the way he walked. Roxas had tried to ask him if he was ok but Axel had brushed him off saying it was nothing to worry about and adding got it memorized in an attempt to lighten the mood. It didn't work as Roxas didn't believe him for a second. Roxas stopped asking though figuring he would get no response and instead made a point to be extra wary of their surroundings knowing Axel was out of sorts and wouldn't be up to the task.

Focusing on trudging forward, the walk back was filled with silence until Axel took a stumble that he didn't recover from. His feet hadn't been able to correct themselves fast enough resulting him colliding with the ground with a dull thud. The only thing that had prevented a full on face plant was a forceful hand that stopped his descent to the ground halfway through.

"Axel, are you okay?" Roxas said with just a touch of panic. When no response was heard Roxas shook him a bit trying to snap him out of the daze he was currently in. A small mumble was heard but Roxas didn't pick up on it.

He leaned in forward and heard "Think I have a concussion..." Roxas let out a quick fuck before bracing for the pain he was going to go through to get Axels ass hauled up.

Grabbing the man's arm, he pulled it around his shoulder avoiding his wings and slowly pushed off of the ground, pulling up his friend in the return. Luckily Axel still had some control of his legs and was helping a bit with holding himself up but mostly it was Roxas doing all the work.

"One step at a time." He muttered putting one foot forward and beginning the motions that are thought of as walking.

Feeling Axel start to slip, he grabbed tightly around Axels' narrow waist to haul him up once more noticing vaguely how warm Axel felt. His eyes were starting to close causing alarm bells to go off in Roxas' head. Number one rule when dealing with people who might have a concussion, don't let them fall asleep.

"Axel, c'mon you can't fall asleep now it's still the afternoon." Roxas quickly said still doing the movement that resembled walking. He heard Axel mumble something but still had his eyes closed. He started talking some more "Uh look there is a two headed heartless over in the corner!" Roxas was never one for small talk.

His companion let out a small snigger and even opened his eyes a bit, perhaps trying to find the two headed heartless his friend spoke of. Roxas soon found out through experimentation that Axel would stay awake as long as he was talking and so began the longest hour of Roxas' life. He started talking about the random things that popped into his head.

"So um, yah, how come oranges are called oranges but bananas aren't called…yellows…"He heard Axel mumble about how he hated that oranges had nothing that rhymed with them. Roxas let out a pathetic laugh at this comment. "Well if we ever get back to normal lives I'll make something and name it Cadsorange or what not so then orange with have something to rhyme with." Axel smiled at this comment making Roxas smile as well in the bleak situation.

He felt Axel start to slip down again, Pulling him back up he winced at the scream of pain that yelled out from his leg. Grimacing, he ignored the pain in favor of talking.

"This is some February were having, I wonder if the ground hog saw his shadow? Hell I don't even think I know the exact date anymore." He made sure Axel was awake before continueing "I meant to tell you earlier but I think Demyx is stalking you. You might want to think about forgiving him before he escalates." Upon saying that Axel made a vigorous shaking motion with his head to indicate no he would not forgive him, it hadn't been a week yet.

The conversation went on like this for sometime as Roxas did his best to keep his friend moving as well as himself. As long as he kept the conversation up, the pain of his leg seemed to be held at bay so he talked and talked.

Roxas was talking more than he ever had before but soon felt silly talking about the random shit he was babbling on about so he moved onto talking about his past. He only felt comfortable about doing this since Axel was barely awake and probably couldn't understand what he was saying. It also felt good thinking of all the good memories instead of dwelling on the bad.

"You should have seen it Axel, the whole city was bathed in light and everything looked like it was on fire. Heh, Ifrit was always known for having the best fireworks and boy did my mom and dad love them. Heck I think that's the reason we lived there in the first place." As if it was an afterthought he added "I think you would have liked it a lot."

Axel remained silent but his feet kept up their hobbling motion. "Sora had thought the fireworks were hearts in the sky making the designs and went on and on about it for days. Cloud finally shut him up by hiding his toy boat until he promised to stop going on about it."

Roxas chuckled at the memory. "It's too bad Normandy never was one for fireworks. I had once told my friends about them but they didn't get what the big deal was." Roxas eyes appeared downcast for a moment as he said something softly "I really thought that my friends were going to be at the headquarters but you know that doesn't mean they're not still alive right?" Axel said nothing but when Roxas wasn't looking his dazed gaze fell on him.

This went on for a while until near the end he said so something so quietly he doubted Axel had even heard him let alone understood him.

"I got to say Axel, you're probably the best friend I've ever had so you have to stay awake, ok? Your story isn't over just yet."

The walk dragged on and with each step the blond felt as if the knife was still in his embedded in his leg and was slowly working its way in further and further. Having only around two miles to go until they reached the headquarters Roxas felt his leg start to quiver underneath him. Keeping his weight mainly on his right leg he gripped Axel tight to gain perhaps some energy from the red head before taking another step forward.

Only what had been meant to be a step forward soon became tumble to the ground. Roxas hit the ground hard and felt the world spin for a small second. Once he got his wits together he saw that Axel was no longer on the ground beside him and was instead throwing up on the far side of the road.

Feeling a small amount of relief at Axel being this much more coherent, he stood up only to find that if he tried to put any weight on his left leg it would simply give out. He stood there awkwardly on one leg as he heard Axel continue to retch. After a decent amount of time had passed Axel had stopped spitting out the remnants of the taste and had returned over to Roxas with a frown on his face.

Wordlessly he did the same for Roxas that he had done for Axel. Gripping the blond tightly, he helped him limp the rest of the way to headquarters not mentioning whether he remembered Roxas talking to him.

Once they had reached the Headquarters, Roxas had refused to see Aerith until after they had talked to the Commander.

* * *

The papers shifted again causing Roxas' head to jut up out his memories but it fell down once more when it was apparent that Mickey was still in thought and not done reviewing the papers.

Roxas bit his lower lip in anger; here he was waiting around like an idiot while his brother could be in great pain or even dying. Wait no, not dying, never dying. There was no way in hell his brother was going to die. Roxas would die first before that happened. These thoughts caused his ankle to itch violently but he kept still trying to mask the emotions roiling through him in hopes his urge to punch the Commander would go away.

The minutes ticked down until The Commander put the final piece of paper he was holding down and looked up at the two operatives that just handed him a whole a lot of valuable information and insight into their enemies but also a lot of grief

"I know what you're thinking Roxas and I can't give you a clear answer on what were going to do with the information you brought us right now." Mickey said running a hand over his worn-out face. He picked up the forgotten paper that held the list of names "It's true that this piece of paper holds the names of the two operatives that were sent out but they knew the dangers when they were sent."

Roxas struggled to keep his emotions from bubbling up. Instead he stood there for a moment before walking the best he could out of the room. He wished he could have kept the folder that housed the information where Sora was at but luckily that page had been burned into his memory from the flash bulb moment that had occurred upon finding it.

He had to find Cloud and tell him about what happened before the Commander got a hold of him or his leg decided to give out again.

* * *

Roxas found Cloud downstairs in the main entrance doing an inspection on the general defenses. Without looking up, Cloud gave a brief wave before continuing on with his routine. Roxas made his way over to his brother observing the defenses as he went along. Moving through the rows of cover he stopped in front of his brother waiting to be noticed.

Cloud looked up with a small quizzical look to his face before looking back down and asking "Anything exciting happen on your first mission?" The naivety of that statement stung Roxas in a way he didn't think possible. Here Cloud was enjoying a seemingly normal day, minus the threat of dying, but normal nun the less for the time being and here Roxas was about to bring the roof crashing down upon his head.

Breathing in deep Roxas reminded himself it was better for Cloud to hear it from him first instead of from the Commander. "The mission didn't exactly go as planned…" Roxas trailed off hating himself for the weakness he was showing. He had to be strong, always had to be strong.

Cloud looked back up hearing the hitch in Roxas' voice. This time it wasn't a side long glance which allowed him to see how bad Roxas' shape was at the moment. Though most of his wounds had long since stopped bleeding his stab on his calf still pained him greatly and the only thing that had prevented Roxas going to Aerith straight away was the guilt lurching in his stomach if he hadn't gone to Cloud first.

Clouds eyes saw the cuts on Roxas' face and the way he favored one leg more than the other. Grimacing at his brother's condition he motioned at Squall who was on the other side of the defense doing his inspection.

Looking a tad annoyed, Squall walked over and asked a simple "What?"

"Can you finish up the rest of my inspections, I was already almost done." Cloud asked handing his nearly finished check list before grabbing Roxas' arm and laying it over his shoulder to help him walk.

"Why?" Squall said, he sounded annoyed but Roxas knew that Cloud and Squall were really good friends from the way Axel talked about them and from what he saw himself so he knew that Squall didn't really mind all that much.

Cloud had already started walking away with his slow limping brother in tow. "Because my brothers an idiot." Roxas thought he heard Squall say "What else is new." But ignored it not caring what the man thought.

Roxas felt a bit ashamed at his brother having to help him walk and the stares of the people on the way didn't help his cheeks from rising a few tones in color. It had been ok when Axel had helped him because it was away from prying eyes but here it was a different story. If it was possible, he pushed his wings in further trying to make himself smaller and therefore not worthy of being noticed.

He figured out from their route they were taking; they were heading towards Aeriths office. "Now what did you want to tell me about the mission?" Cloud asked as they hit their stride.

Becoming suddenly interesting in the floor, Roxas avoid eye contact with his brother. Skipping through all the irrelevant data Roxas finally told Cloud what had happened between him and the dying man who handed him the piece of paper that started it all. He continued on to what the man said and how Sora's name was on the list, last name and all. Roxas finished it up by telling about the folder with the building information that matched the coordinates and the Commanders response to the situation.

Remaining quiet through the tale, Clouds face appeared to be emotionless but to the trained eye one could see fear and doubt enter his eyes. His grip also had tightened on Roxas' waste as if to restrain himself from letting himself appear human. Another pang of guilt hit Roxas at seeing his brother's distress but knew there had been no other way.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence as the two brothers shared each other's company trying to prepare themselves for a list of hard choices they were going to have to make because of the hand the cards of life had dealt them.

* * *

Reaching the door that lead to Aeriths office, Cloud came to an abrupt stop. Roxas took an awkward step forward from the momentum not knowing that Cloud had stopped resulting in them almost falling over.

After readjusting themselves Cloud gripped Roxas' waist tighter as he spoke "You go get yourself fixed up. I'm going to go talk to the Commander and try to get something done." Roxas almost fell over in relief; he had been so afraid that Cloud would take the same stance as the Commander. He continued as he turned his head to face Roxas' "Don't worry though, no matter what, me and you are going to get our brother. None of us gets left behind if I can help it."

Roxas nodded knowing the risks to Clouds position here would be if they decided to go against orders and try to get Sora out by themselves. The thought that maybe he should go by himself without telling Cloud crossed his mind but it was gone a second later when Cloud gave him a rough brotherly squeeze around the waist before letting him go to walk on his own. He gave the briefest of sad smiles before leaving to go talk to the Commander.

Watching him walk away, Roxas finally looked away when he turned a corner and was out of sight. Trying to walk normally, he entered the brightly lit room filled with plants to see Aerith already working on Axel who seemed to be enjoying himself.

He had once told Roxas that after battle when he began to rest his wounds would begin to cauterize themselves. Didn't hurt and it made dealing with the infection the Heartless carried around a breeze since it was just burned out of him. Roxas wished his body could do the same as he felt his lesions let out a twinge to remind them they were still around and very angry at the lack of proper attention.

Roxas was also relieved to see Axel was already there and not still with the Commander. He had felt guilty at leaving him to the Leaders mercy, but from the smile that lit up on the red heads face when he saw Roxas enter the room, he figured the red head held no grudge against him. Returning the huge smile with a little one of his own he walked the best he could to sit in the chair beside Axels and watched Aerith finish checking him over.

"You're all clear Axel, didn't even need help you along did I?" She said with a slight chuckle. Her hair was pulled up in its usual braid and had a pink bow for the accent. Every time he saw her, she had the same bow and the same hairdo. One day he would ask her about it but for now he waited for her to start on him.

She turned to Roxas and gave him a warm smile before saying "Now it's your turn." She immediately saw his leg was the most critical so started there first. Pulling up his ripped pant leg she brought the gash into view and frowned at what she saw.

Even Axel let out a low whistle upon seeing the injury in all its glory. "You really know how to get hit Roxas, one inch higher and you would have bled out."

He shivered at that thought while he kept his eyes averted away from the damage not wanting to know the full extent of it. Aerith let out a number of low tuts as she brought out the bottle that Roxas recognized as the liquid that cleaned out wounds that might have been inflicted with the infection caused by contact with the darkness that covered the Heartless.

"A Heartless must have gotten you good to make this big of gash." Aerith said as she leaned in to examine the wound closer.

"A Heartless? No, this happened from one of the Military Nobodies weapon." Roxas said as he leaned back in the chair. He was distracted by the pain and was trying to focus on the ceiling to try and block it out. So far his attempt was failing

"Uh, Roxas? I'm pretty sure that was caused by a Heartless, are you ok." He heard Axel say with a quizzical tone to his voice.

Raising his eyebrows in confusion, Roxas leaned forward to look at the grisly wound. From what he could see the flesh around the stab was red and angry from rubbing up against his pants leg for so long. The gash itself looked like any normal stab wound with that being deep and bloody but there was another part to this puzzle. Aside from the blood there was blackness seeping from the wound in small drips that ran down his leg to create a gruesome image.

Confusion filled him as he tried to recall the series of events that may have lead to this. The Heartless had not come near his legs during the fight proven true by the lack of cuts on them except the few ones on his injured leg. If no heartless had come near the injury then how was it dripping that color of liquid? He looked up to see equally confused looks on the two people that surrounded him. Gripping his chair slightly he cleared his face of emotions like he had done so many times before at the institute.

He waved his hand about as if to clear the air before saying "Heh I guess one did get me without me realizing, sorry." Aerith visibly relaxed upon hearing that and went back to work cleaning the wound with the burning liquid. Axel didn't look convinced and narrowed his eyes at the blond trying to read his emotionless features. Roxas looked back at the ceiling and tried to avoid think about a particular point in the fight.

_The dagger plunged into her shoulder in a vivid fashion worthy to be shown in an action film. Her response was immediate as her facial and body language changed dramatically. She stumbled in her dodge while she pulled out her own dagger with a swift movement of her free hand. Her face contorted into rage as blood and dark liquid spurted out of her wound in a steady stream. _

Roxas closed his eyes and steadied his mind. No he wasn't like them, some of the Heartless matter must have spattered on his leg and when the dagger caught him it must have just mixed in. Roxas grimaced outwardly at hearing him think this. Even in his mind he sounded unconvinced of the tale he spun.

Finishing up with cleaning the wound, Aerith opted to heal it immediately instead of just bandaging it up.. She held a hand above the wound and released the healing power that lay deep within her that lay dormant coursing through her life stream.

Her hand started growing a pale green and as her hand came down upon the wound small tendrils of light seeped from her fingers and into the opening on his leg. Roxas felt a wave of calm wash over him as Aerith did her work and relaxed. He felt his muscle pull back together piece by piece as the veins melded back into place once more. The light dimmed and Aerith pulled her hand back to admire her handy work. All that was left as proof that a knife wound was there was the slightest sliver of a scar.

Thanking Aerith, he calmly stood up and tested his leg. Besides a few cramps, his calf felt as good as new, he was glad Aerith decided to heal it this way. He doubted he could get Sora out if he had a bum leg.

Turning his back to Aerith, he walked in a small circle to work out the kinks. He heard Aerith sigh and the shifting of clothes to indicate she had stood as well. He turned his head to see what was wrong when he noticed a few new drops of blood on the ground as well as a feather or two.

She motioned for him to spread them as her hand started up the glow again. Avoiding eye contact with the snickering red head in the corner he did as he was told. His wings practically creaked at the movement from being kept tightly against his back for so long. The room was barely big enough for him to stretch his thirteen foot wingspan out completely and in the process of doing that he almost beamed Axel in the face who was currently fiddling around with one of the fallen feathers.

Roxas glared at him for that and tried to swat it out of his hands but was pulled back by Aerith who frowned at him. Axel just sneered at him and continued to play around with the feather.

The healer spotted the knife injuries immediately and went to work clicking her tongue in amusement at the blond's inability to keep out of trouble. She finished up quickly allowing Roxas to return his wings back to their original position against his back relieved at the release of tension the healing had brought on.

For the cuts on his face she merely cleaned them out with the horrid liquid he began to dread the sight of and put a big band aid over to cover them. Touching the Band-Aid with his hand he felt a bit silly with such a large thing on his face. He could hear Axel snicker at his action.

Now that he was all fixed up, it was time to…time to what exactly? Roxas hadn't planned this far ahead which was a strange sensation for him. The rush of events had caught up to him and now he was at a loss to do. Waving back at Aerith he exited the room to find Axel right beside him still holding the ebony feather between his fingers.

Roxas made a grab for it once more but was denied as the red head bounded out of the way. Rolling his eyes, Roxas followed after him as his brain started to work on putting the pieces of the puzzle together a variety of different scenarios that might play out together. No matter what, he would be ready.

* * *

They sat on the grand staircase that overlooked the defenses of the main room while they ate their dinner. Roxas had a half finished Turkey sandwich that held in his off hand while the other held his head while Axel happily munched on his baloney sandwich. The turkey sandwich, which was his favorite, tasted unusually bland even though it was made by the famous Cid himself. Taking another bite he slowly chewed it while he watched the scant few people mill around the defenses talking to one another about the latest gossip. Without wanting to he found out that the kid he saw earlier that week named Vivi, had been assigned to the defense faction.

"Why is the rivalry between factions such a big deal?" Roxas asked absent mindedly before taking another bite.

Axel took a second to respond as he swallowed his food before answering, "People need things to take their mind off all the death that's surrounds this place. A little friendly competition also keeps the performance up as everyone wants to have their faction be the best performing." He took ate another bite before continuing, "I actually think that the Commander started it himself for all those exact reasons. By the way, I never did thank you for dragging my ass as far as you did, so thanks." Axel said without looking at Roxas.

Roxas tilted his head away to prevent the rise of color on his face to be noticed by his eating companion. He still didn't know if Axel actually had heard him say all that random stuff to him therefore losing the persona he had worked so hard to create. Why on earth did he have to talk about Oranges? Oranges of all things.

Finishing up his dinner, Axel let out a belch that caused half the people in the room to look up from their conversations to look at him. Axel just pointed at Roxas making a couple of disgusted faces himself before Roxas pulled it down and glared at him.

Once they were done with each of their prospective sandwiches, the two friends sat and enjoyed this random peaceful moment that had been afforded to them. It was all so normal that Roxas let out a small smile, but it was gone an instance later as a pang of guilt cried out in his gut. Sora wasn't here to enjoy this moment; instead he was out there somewhere in trouble.

A loud bang from the corner of the room caused Roxas to flinch outwardly and to shift his gaze to where the noise had come from.

"Everybody get ready!" The wild eyed man said. He looked as beat up as one could get and still be standing. "Hurry, please you have to listen to me." The man pleaded looking at all the shocked faces that surrounded him. Roxas stood up and started down the stairs when Squall came into the room and a moment later the alarm went off.

"Get to your stations people, code black." Squall said calmly with his gunblade out on his shoulder. "The Heartless are attacking the base."

* * *

A cliff hanger, dun dun DUNNN

Whew, that was a long one. Hopefully there aren't that many mistakes, I looked through it a lot so I hope i caught everything.

Please review! It will make me quite happy and I will ride around on a unicycle.


	16. Chapter 16

Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews I received, I honestly had not expected this story to be found through the mountains of other fan fictions that litter this sight about kingdom hearts but I am still happy all the same.

Again, you have no idea how much those reviews mean to me, but with further ado, Chapter 16, *applause* haha

Oh, and yah Me=own nothing

* * *

The amount of motion that came next made Roxas' head spin. People were swarming every which way, grabbing armor, guns, setting up defenses that had been previously stored, and rounding up the few kids that were there. More people poured into the room, getting into place behind the makeshift barriers that littered the room, preparing for the assault that was coming towards them.

Roxas moved through people as he once had so many times before on crowded city sidewalks. But instead of slow moving pedestrians, he had to strafe through a determined mob that was on a mission. After much effort, he popped out of the crowd and went to his position on the far side of the main hall where he stood next to Axel who shot him a grin once he was in his place. On his other side he was surprised to see Demyx. Demyx seeing his confusion just sent him a small wave while at the same time avoiding eye contact with Axel. Roxas started to say something but was interrupted by a loud booming voice that entered the fray.

"You know the drill people, get to position and hunker down!" A voice yelled from the back. Cloud made his way to the front of all the action while on the way stopping to help people.

"Remember the drills and everything should be fine. Don't fall back till you hear the orders." Cloud finished up and right on time for a loud crash was heard that shook the building. The Heartless had hit the building at full force and were holding nothing back by the sounds of it. The hum of so many hearts beating together drove them into a frenzy that caused them to throw themselves at the blocked entrances with no hesitation. Claws were dragged through the planks of wood that were plastered up and down the entrance way while teeth bit onto anything that got near them, be it the barriers or another Heartless, they showed no preference.

The sound was deafening from the cries to the sound of hundreds of heartless cramming themselves up against a wall whilst tearing at anything that got into their reach. Wood was torn asunder letting the view of the commotion outside into the sight. A few people gasped and one screamed as the yellow eyes were soon fixated upon the anxious crowd of people inside. As if encouraged by the few sounds of anguish, the noise increased in direct result of the Heartless redoubling their efforts at getting inside.

More and more wood was torn away in their fit of fury and scratches started to appear on the exposed glass. It held against the onslaught for the sheer fact that a thin blue barrier was seen against the wall. Roxas looked back and saw Yuna in the back holding up her hands with her face screwed up in concentration. Sweat beaded up on her brow as the attack against the wall doubled as more Heartless climbed on each other to get through.

Cloud saw that Yuna was running out of strength and motioned to the front liners to prepare themselves. Roxas and the other Nobodies that possessed powers stepped up to unleash their powers on the tide of Heartless that were about to crash through. With a gasp Yuna released the barrier and staggered backwards to recover her strength.

The wall crashed down the second the blue wall disapated. The sound was unlike anything Roxas had ever heard before; the thought of an earthquake bringing down a house was the only thing relatable to it.

The Heartless in the front were dazed from the crash and were soon trampled by the mindless hoard behind them.

"NOW!" Clouds voice screamed over the rising racket.

Every kind of power was released the second that single syllable word was screamed. Fire, water, wind, you name it was directed at the swarm of Heartless that ran into the room. The light that the combined power produced was so intense Roxas had to squint to see even the smallest bit of what was. His power flowed out of him easily enough but the trouble was regulating it so he didn't burn out before the real fighting began. The first few rounds of Heartless that entered the building never stood a chance against the assault of pure energy.

The energy began to weaken as the Nobodies began to rein in their powers. They could only release so much of their energy at one time so the massive outpouring of energy began to dwindle until the first Heartless made its way past the killing field and into the fray of barriers that marked the landscape of the huge room.

Roxas let out a burst of light before letting his gut relax stemming the flow of his power. With a quick jab outward he stabbed a Heartless clean through with his keyblade before whipping it to the right to cleave a Heartless heading towards him. Demyx didn't have a weapon to call his own that Roxas knew of and only saw him fighting with his water, bending it to his will to kill a number of heartless in a variety of ways. Axel on the other side of him had a wicked grin on his face as he threw a chakram into the mess before slamming his other one into a Heartless that had gone for his heart.

The Heartless swarm was relentless, for everyone he downed two were quickly in their place. The line of Nobodies was being pushed back further and further into the room. The trained snipers were hunched over on the balconies that overlooked the expanse and were shooting down the heartless with deadly accuracy alleviating some of the pressure on the group but they could only do so much.

"Gunners! Start to fall back!" Cloud yelled as he swung his huge sword into four Heartless at once decimating them immediately. Squall was next to him alternating between shooting and slicing with his weapon, they covered each other's back in a way that clearly showed they had been through a lot of fights.

The last line of gunmen retreated into the stairwells to head to the second line of defense.

Roxas continued to hold the line with the other Nobodies. His stamina held him through as the waves of Heartless continued pushing into them.

He swung to the right while his left hand let out a burst of light keeping the Heartless from overtaking him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the remaining gunners start to retreat into the staircases in the back of the rooms. Another swing to the left kept a heartless from ripping off half his face.

Stepping back, he almost tripped over one of the many barriers, Roxas looked behind real quick to see most of the powerless Nobodies seeking refuge on the higher floors. Turning his head forwards once more he took down another Heartless before it could claw him across the chest.

As he battled, he noticed in the far front there were a couple of fat Heartless. Their bellies swung to and fro hitting any heartless that dared get close which was basically all of them. Gritting his teeth at the turning tide of the battle he let out a sweep of his keyblade accompanied by a bright light that decimated the Heartless that had gotten in range.

Stepping back he brought his keyblade behind him in preparation of another devastating blow but before he could unleash it some Heartless noticed his defenseless position and tried to take advantage of that fact. A well aimed Chakram saved him from this injury and without another second to lose he let go of the pent up energy that had built up inside him. It burst from his hand and rang out in a broad arc in front of him, pummeling into the Heartless that stood in its way. He gave a quick thanks to Axel before continuing his part in the battle.

The swarm was relentless in their assault; to his left he saw Demyx and Axel holding their own but for how long? They seemed to be fighting together which even in this dank situation made Roxas smile a very small amount in his head. He let out a combo of swings and out of the corner of his eye he saw Zidane wielding two intricate swords while diving in and out of the Heartless mob. Another set of combos gave his a brief glimpse of his brother who along with Squall, were trying to stave off the huge fat Heartless from breaking their way into the building.

Cloud would divert the lumbering giant's attention with a few huge sweeps of his sword while Squall would try to take them down from behind. That at least what Roxas thought they were doing in the split second he observed them. His attention was diverted away by another Heartless trying to claw at his chest.

A cry rang out from a Heartless and soon the others joined it in crying out. To Roxas it sounded like the souls of the damned screaming in agony. The noise got louder and as if it was a rallying call they began to scramble and attack even faster and harder.

Roxas let out a hitched breath as they slammed into his measly defenses and were able to score a few hits on what they could reach. All around him the same was happening to everyone else as they struggled to hold the line. Stepping back, he almost tripped as his leg backed into the first stair of the grand staircase but quickly recovered by swinging his keyblade into to two heartless before redirecting it into another.

Roxas began to notice how he had gotten separated from the line. He was the only one on the staircase while the others were off on the sides preventing the Heartless from getting into any other rooms or side staircases. If another push of Heartless happened he would be left alone to guard the staircase.

A roar rang pit that seemed to hit the register of the building causing it to rumble and shake. Roxas searched for the source of the noise but was too distracted from holding the entire Grand Staircase to have much success. What he could confirm was that it was coming closer and it wasn't just the noise that was causing the shaking anymore.

For a brief moment, Roxas looked up to a huge pair of glowing yellow eyes looming on the horizon and they were coming closer at an alarming rate. Hoping that the others noticed as well he battled the Heartless while watching the looming figure come closer and closer unable to do anything.

It reached the steps that lead up to the entrance and began its journey upwards to the door all the while swatting at the other heartless that dared get into its path of destruction. Its cavernous mouth was wide open and was dripping black liquid and had the shape of a grinning jack o lantern. The other Nobodies were so absorbed in their individual battles they failed to see the looming threat coming towards them.

Roxas continued to watch the giant Heartless, it was easily four times the size of a normal heartless and it had to stoop to get through many of the Hotels overhangings. Its movement were quick and agile Roxas noted as the rest of the smaller heartless continued to pound on his defenses and forced him backwards up the stairs. He was facing three times the amount of Heartless as everyone else but no one could come to his aid at this point and time even if they did notice his predicament. Making a huge sweep with his keyblade he brought his light forth and sent another burst of energy towards a few Heartless that tried to creep by.

The bright expansion of light seemed to catch the descending giant of a Heartless attention for as it reached the top step his head swiveled towards him. Its maw opened wide as it roared using all the breath in its body.

Heading straight towards him it leapt of the heartless mob and came at him like a freight train towards a helpless damsel in distress. With the heartless converged on him from all sides, not allowing him to dodge even the smallest amount, all in all, he never stood a chance.

Roxas only had enough time to grind his teeth together before the giant clawed hand crashed into him. It was all a blur to Roxas as his collided with multiple steps on the staircase as the Heartless dragged him along until it lifted him up and smashed him into the stained glass picture depicting swans flying in the air on the top of the staircase on the wall. The glass broke with a loud crack punctuated by glass shards springing out and shattered on the ground. Dazed, Roxas' body went limp for a moment as his brain raced to keep up with what was occurring.

From the outside eye one would see a short teenage boy be pushed to the ground by a massive black beast before being drug up a staircase. It continued this before picking him up and grinding him into a broken stain glass window that depicted two swans in flight. Before being torn down back onto the ground and then pulled up the next flight of stairs directly to his right.

A red headed man to the left of the staircase yelled out as if pain. He tried to make his way to where the giant heartless exited but was held back by the ceaseless hoard of black monsters. His efforts were futile and he knew it. Out of frustration he called out the boys name and his attacks became more wild and uncontrolled.

Hearing the pained cry, the other Nobodies realizing what had occurred, turned their heads just a bit but that was all that was needed to see that the Heartless had broken through part of their defenses and were making their way up the grand staircase to the upper levels that held the retreated gunners and a few Nobodies that have powers.

"Maneuver People! Defend the staircase!" Cloud yelled. He felt growing panic spread though his stomach as he was unable to locate where his brother was. Hoping that nothing serious had happened he ground his teeth together and focused on the fight at hand.

The giant Heartless tore through the halls taking up the entire space, still dragging Roxas along the ground, and rand towards the bullets that pierced its hide rapidly. In order to take down a Heartless with a bullet, one had to shoot it in the once heart like organ and sadly the reality of a giant heartless racing down the halls towards you tends to put a damper on a person's shooting skill.

Letting out another snarl, it brought itself in front of the defenses and stood for a moment with a grin on its cocked head at the sound of all the beating hearts that stood before him. It had picked perfect hallway. Being out of the way as it was, the most inexperienced people had been stationed here with just a few that had been trained thoroughly.

"RUN!" Roxas cried out as he struggled against the hold the Heartless had on his sweatshirt. The people stood stock still a moment before letting out another barrage of bullets that did nothing but agitate the Heartless. It raised its free hand and picked up a squirming Nobody and promptly bit into him.

The amount of blood that is contained in a human body can never be fully appreciated until one sees a person bleed out right before their eyes. It spurted out rapidly and stained everything it reached with a dark red color and the smell of iron and salt fill the air.

Roxas' breath quickened as he watched the massacre take place right before his eyes. If he didn't do anything the fate of this man would quickly become the future for all these unprepared people that were frozen in shock. He stabbed furiously with his keyblade, trying to gain freedom and the chance to save these people. He looked back out and saw the heartless was almost done with its first meal, he had to act fast.

Feeling the familiar tug in his gut, Roxas released all the energy he could muster out onto the Heartless that held him in its grip. Light filled the hallway and an agonizing scream was released. Roxas felt the claw let go of his sweatshirt letting him land with a thump on the ground before he scrambled away. The heartless stopped screaming once the contact with the light was broken and turned its head trying to find what had happened before giving up and reaching for another Nobody that lay before him.

"Hey ugly! This way, you want me!" Roxas screamed as he backed away from the scene with his keyblade out and ready. He had to get the Heartless away from the fleeing people before it started killing again. The Heartless ignored him and grabbed at a crawling Nobody, biting into them.

"Fuck!" Roxas said before throwing his keyblade imbued with light towards the feasting monster. It tore through the Heartless' back and sprang out the other side embedding itself in the wall. The Heartless turned its head and bared its blood stained teeth as it turned its body clumsily around in the confining hallway. Blackness oozed from its wound and dripped down onto to the blood tarnished carpet.

Roxas ran down the corridor, his feet slipping a bit from the blood that coated the underside of his shoes. He imagined himself to be an arrow whizzing through the air. And if Roxas was an arrow the Heartless was a cannonball ripping through the wall like they were merely wet Kleenexes. With a determination on every inch of his face he ran onwards as the thumps of the heavy footfalls of the Heartless behind him grew closer.

The only plan that was forming in his head was that he had to get this Heartless into an open space where he could either get others to help him or kill it on his own. The latter was wishful thinking for the Heartless was easily over four times his size but if it came down to it he would do his best to try and make it possible.

He made a sharp turn with minimal difficulty and swung around with just minor slippage. He heard the Heartless skid into the wall almost crashing through it but started forward with renewed vigor after the enticing pumping heart that was right in front of it like a carrot on a string. Saliva that coated its mouth dripped from its open jaw as it slavered after its prey. The hallway was growing shorter and Roxas was running out of time to think of what to do.

If he went into the stairwell the Heartless wouldn't be able to follow him and might go after more people. The only other option was the service elevator that was always open on this floor because of some protocol he never got around to memorizing but that was a death trap if there ever was one. Him and that Heartless alone in the larger than average elevator sent a shiver down his spine.

The Heartless grew closer and took a chance by diving towards Roxas with is arm outstretched to snatch him. Roxas looked behind at the right time to see this attempt taking place and was able to jump ahead of the blow but not enough to prevent getting swatted from behind.

He got pushed forward, and tumbled into the open elevator while at the same time his keyblade was forced from his hand and bounced off the ground into the elevator control panel hitting a floor number. He stood up quickly, ignoring the pain, and caught his keyblade on the rebound and saw the Heartless crashing towards him. It was so close and was about to jump through to get at him but before it could make it through the elevator doors closed with a ding. It crashed into it and formed a small dent but was unable to do anything more as the elevator pulled away.

For a split second, Roxas worried that with his involuntary escape the Heartless would go back and kill the rest of the people. But that fear was waylaid when the sounds of the Heartless climbing up the elevator shaft reached his ears. The Heartless was pissed off to the greatest degree one can piss off a Heartless and it wasn't going to let this delicious pounding heart get away when it was so close. The madness was upon it and nothing was going to distract it now.

It climbed the shaft with ease filling the space almost entirely with its mass. Roxas stood still trying to calm his beating heart so he could try and hear where the Heartless was at, and how far away it was. The elevator continued to move at a steady pace but Roxas didn't know if the Heartless was faster.

His answer came a few minutes later when a giant claw ripped through the floor of the elevator peeling back the metal as if was cloth. It grasped for the pounded heart as it half hung and half climbed. Roxas stayed as still as possible trying to avoid the razor sharp claws from getting at him.

Another claw burst through and managed to graze Roxas on the chest. Luckily he was too far away and only got his sweatshirt ripped across the chest. That was all the Heartless needed though, and the claw went for him with lightning speed.

Roxas whipped his keyblade down and danced around the grasping hand keeping it off balanced. Well as off balanced as a hand can get anyways. The Elevators gears groaned at the extra weight the massive Heartless was adding to it and threatened to stop at any moment. Roxas looked up briefly at the flashing numbers and was relieved to see they were almost to their destination, the roof.

The Heartless' hands disappeared without notice but Roxas was wary and knew the Heartless wouldn't give up that easily after going through so much but he still held the hope that the thing had fallen to its death. This hope proved false as the Heartless shoved its snapping head through one of the previous hand holes. Its yellow eyes trained on him as more of the head started to push through. Roxas backed into the doors as far away from the hole being ripped open and the angry Heartless.

Keyblade in hand, he watched as the Heartless widened the hole with his claws and raised its head farther inward until his teeth snapped at the air in front of Roxas. It started to crawl forward to the point that Roxas knew he had to do something about the door but before he could turn around the doors opened with a ding and he tumbled backwards onto the roof.

The night sky was a blanket of stars that night and wind blew strongly unhindered by buildings or trees. Roxas stood up and immediately crouched over and tensed his muscles in order to not be blown over by the sheer force of the wind up this high. It tore through his hair and whipped his sweatshirt back and forth but he stood his ground and watched with horror in his eyes as the Heartless reached out with hand and dug in its claws in the roof to gain some purchase in order to keep pulling itself out. It filled the elevator completely now and it was only half way through. Roxas took a step back as the Heartless started to crawl of the now husk of an elevator and started to advance towards him.

The side of the roof he was on was about half the size of a basketball court, Roxas had to try to either get this thing to fall off or to kill it the old fashion way. He doubted he could do the latter but both would be immensely difficult.

The Heartless had now pulled itself entirely out of the elevator and shook itself out. The wind seemed to have no effect on it as it pulled itself to full height and let out a roar. Bits of black ooze splattered out of its mouth as it reared back down with the same grin it held before, its yellow eyes glowing brighter than ever.

Roxas readied his keyblade and darted to the left ducking under a claw that swooped his way. He ripped his keyblade through the things leg before doing a sidestep backwards and blasting it with ray of light before shirking to the left once more. The Heartless shifted his body as he tried to face Roxas, letting out a low gargled growl. The way it slinked around it reminded Roxas of a cat.

Roxas saw it ready itself and jumped so the Heartless bit onto thin air. He made the mistake of using his wings to soften his fall because instead of letting his fall with more control the wind redirected him and slammed him into the wall that held the elevator. Letting out a groan he tucked his wings back in to prevent that dangerous mishap from happening again. He was lucky he hadn't been pulled over the edge.

The Heartless watched him with what could only be described as an amused look with the way it cocked its head to side. But that look quickly changed to predatory as it swiped down on the injured boy knocking him back out and skidding on the round till he hit the edge of the roof.

Cursing at his stupidity, he got back up and rounded back on the Heartless. Staying low to the ground to dodge the Heartless and to avoid the dangerous wind he sliced his weapon into the hand that reached for him awarding him with an angry cry from the Heartless. Holding its hand close it slammed down with its other one but Roxas saw it coming and did a dodge roll to the side.

The hand landed with a loud crack and an indent was formed on the roof from the force of the blow. If it was possible the wind picked up even more as Roxas retreated backwards to reassesse the situation. The outlook didn't look good for him, the Heartless wasn't slowing down at all while Roxas began to feel the wear and tear of the battle on his form.

Cursing his luck at the thing before him, he brought his keyblade upwards and bared his teeth in a silent growl of defiance. The Heart lunged forward with an amazing amount of speed but stumbled on the indent it had formed earlier.

Roxas watched with horror as the Heartless let out a cry of frustration falling forward. Its claws lunged outward in an attempt to salvage the movement.

Time slowed down around Roxas as the Heartless stumbled to the ground as its hand came out towards him to try and salvage its moment. He took a step back to see that he was right at the edge; he whipped his head forward to see the claw right at his chest before it pushed into him. His breath left his body as his body became weightless for a few moments before gravity took hold. His feet left the ground of the roof as his body welcomed the air.

Time regained its normal speed as Roxas tumbled through the air. He thought in the back of his mind as he saw the windows pass him with increasing speed that he was lucky the Heartless had pushed him far enough out that he wasn't running into the building.

Seconds passed as his form floundered in the air before a clash of pain in his head reawakened a part of him he didn't know existed. His wings spread and were yanked open by the rush of air. Not thinking, just acting, he let his instincts take over as his body did what it was transformed to do.

Acting like a bullet he narrowed his wings in until they were halfway closed so he darted through the air away from the building. He glided a little before bringing his wings back out and he pushing them back down in a motion that was called flying.

His wings beat the air faster and faster until he was higher than the headquarters, he breathed in deeply and felt himself smile as the stars twinkled above him as if in applause. His heart was thumping a mile a minute as he looked down and saw the ground getting farther and farther away instead of closer. The joy slowly died down though as he remembered what he had to do.

Beating his wings he angled himself towards the building adjacent to the Headquarters. Reaching the roof he gently lowered himself and landed quickly turning in the process to see what was happening back at the building he now called home.

He leaned over and felt relief at the sight of his comrades still holding the line. He was too high up to see who was who but counted and there was the same amount as when he was last there. Looking up at the roof he frowned at the sight of the Heartless pacing back at forth. Its yellow eyes were the only thing visible in the darkness.

Letting out a frustrated roar it seemed to start convulsing. Roxas tried to make out what was occurring but the full moon that loomed over head did little to nothing to revealing what was happening on the far building. Keeping his wings out he prepared for the worst but nothing would have prepared him for what he saw in the next few moments.

The Heartless stilled and the yellows eyes seemed to dim until only the faintest of yellow could be seen. Roxas narrowed his eyes and lifted up his upper lip to reveal his teeth in a silent growl. Something was wrong and the feeling caused an angry itch to start up on his ankle.

Yellow eyes lit back up with such a brilliance it seemed to light up the surrounding area around it. Giant black appendages were now sprouted on its back in such a way it looked like a giant demon from the pits of hell. The breath caught in Roxas' throat as the massive beast jumped off the building. It plummeted to the ground and for the briefest of moments Roxas hoped it would keep falling till it was dead, dead, dead.

But lady luck wasn't on his side today when he saw the creature defy logic and start to use its new growths to start and fly right towards him. Without a second to lose he took off to the air right before the Heartless crashed into the building he was just on. Still getting used to the flying bit, Roxas struggled to dart away fast enough when the Heartless jumped upwards in the next instant.

The beating heart had eluded its grasp for long enough, its mouth spouted saliva as it grew closer and closer.

Roxas joined with the stars as his ebony wings beat furiously to be a few feet ahead of the monstrosity that flew behind him. He whizzed through the air above the buildings and soared high into the clouds. He felt whole, but that feeling was ruined by the giant demon behind him.

Trying to think of a plan, he looked down for a moment and felt a smile reach his lips as he closed his wing and plummeted like a rock.

Above him he heard the Heartless cry out in confusion as its meal disappeared in an instant.

The air rushed around his body, ruffling his feathers and whipping his sweatshirt around his form. He felt the world slip away as he breathed in deep before opening his eyes. With a smirk he angled his wings out slowly to level himself so he was shooting down the corridors of buildings. The Heartless dropped down behind him, having caught up with the enticing scent that drove its primitive mind forward.

Roxas flapped his wings slowly thinking back to what happened to in the hallway. Looking up he saw his chance as an opening was seen. Holding his breath, he angled his right wing in close while letting his left open to full capacity and in result took the sharp turn with success.

The Heartless alas did not; its body to large to handle such a maneuver resulted in it crashing in the building to the far right. The weight of the impact was so great; the walls cracked rand the Heartless crashing through into the building.

Roxas flew back and landed on the rooftop of the building across from where the Heartless had disappeared into. Not believing for a second it was dead he searched for the yellow eyes that would reveal its location.

Yellow eyes failed to reveal themselves as Roxas resisted against the blowing wind that had picked up. The stars in the sky twinkled down oblivious to the mayhem happening down below. Breathing deeply and fast from the exertion of flying Roxas stepped forward in a pointless movement to try and see better.

Yellow eyes appeared without warning as the Heartless opened its giant maw in a bellow that blew Roxas' hair back.

Pushing his wings straight down, he dived upwards up into the sky towards the moon.

The Heartless did the same albeit with a hell of a lot less grace. Roxas was running out of options, nothing was slowing this thing down let alone killing it. Then it hit him, he had a chance in hell of it working but trying was better than flying around forever. With resolve taking over, he folded in his wings and reoriented himself so he was diving towards the heartless headfirst.

The Heartless howled but Roxas replied with a yell of defiance. He summoned his keyblade and met the monster head on while at the same time releasing on the pent up energy he had left.

A burst of light filled the night sky illuminating the city for a brief moment as if the sun had come out.

And then it went dark.

* * *

Again with the cliff hanger, what is wrong with me, mwhaha. Anyways please review and I will ride on a magikarp to the moon from pure joy.


	17. Chapter 17

Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews! They really drive me to try and make this story the best it can be.

I do not own anything.

* * *

Roxas awoke to pain ricocheting through his body. Clutching at his head Roxas squinted while he looked around trying to gain knowledge of his surroundings. Walls surrounded him on two sides and looking back and forth revealed he was in an alleyway next to a chain linked fence and some empty crates that had the military logo plastered on them. Shifting his position he also noticed he was in a puddle.

Letting out a groan, he scooted onto a dry patch and rested his back on the brick wall behind him. Pain ripped through him at this action causing him to screw up his face in an attempt not to cry out. Breathing hard he noticed his left wing was bent at an awkward angle which was the cause of his anguish.

Looking away he bent over clutching his stomach as he felt the bile threatening climb up his throat. Clamping his mouth closed, he chocked it back down not wanting to throw up in this random alleyway. He felt the feeling go away slowly as he breathed in deep, ignoring his broken wing in favor of trying to remember what happened. This attempt caused his head to feel like it was being split open but he thought on it long enough to get the gist.

He remembered shoving his keyblade into the Heartless' open mouth and releasing all the energy he could at once. What happened next was a blur though but he did remember falling and not being able to fly from lack of energy and the going in and out of consciousness hadn't helped his situation. He looked up to see a fire escape bent at an odd angle from where he had hit it last night. Biting his lip, Roxas staggered to his feet and gripped the wall as another wave of pain washed over him.

"Damn my luck" He said under his breath. Summoning his keyblade he smashed it down on the empty military food crates. Picking through the pieces that had splintered off, he found one that would suit his needs. Next, he pulled up his sweatshirt to gain access to his shirt underneath and with a rip he tore off enough strips that would get the job done. With his supplies nearby, he picked up another piece of wood and stuck it between his teeth for him to bite down on.

Gingerly, he took his wing where the break was and with a quick movement that caused tears to spring to his eyes he shifted his bone back into place. Not letting up, he put the wood up against it to keep it straight and fixed it to his wing with the strip of shirt. He moved his wing slowly back to being pulled back on his back.

Roxas exhaled sharply, letting the piece of wood drop from his mouth and fall into his lap. It was splintered and marked from where his teeth had dug into it; he picked it up and chucked it against the wall not wanting to look at it anymore.

"Why the hell does this keep happening to me…" Roxas trailed off before another burst of anger made him pound the ground with his balled up fist. Opening his eyes he bit the inside of his cheek and stood up. He had to figure out where he was and try to get back to the headquarters before dark. Out in the open he was a sitting duck.

If only he hadn't gotten his wing broken, he could have just flown back. But now wasn't the time for what ifs. He had to focus on the present if he was going to survive.

He shuffled out of the alleyway and looked around as he started down the sidewalk. It was early morning judging by the sun position and it a small breeze was blowing its way down the street. From the looks of it he had landed in one the poorer parts of the city.

Graffiti was smeared on the majority of the walls saying such things as "The end of the world is here" and "Repent for your sins." That was all old and faded the newer marks clearly indicated one thing. He was in Blue Moons territory.

Blue circles were marked on every street corner like a dogs piss on a tree. On full alert, Roxas walked on looking for any land marks that would point him in the right direction. He had never been to this part of the city before so everything was unfamiliar but he searched on, hopping to see anything that would point him in the right direction.

Keeping his eyes trained on his surrounding he walked on trying to keep himself from panicking. He had been in much worst spots than this. He only cursed the fact that because of this little detour his plan of breaking Sora out would have to wait.

"Damnit!" he cursed.

A stick snapped down the street breaking the silence. Whirling around, keyblade already in hand, he saw a black bird pecking at the ground in the middle of the street. Relaxing just a bit, Roxas watched with interest as the bird pick up the stick it had broken before taking off to the sky. A frown flitted across his face as he wished with all his heart that he could do the same.

He closed his eyes for a moment before turning around and continuing on his way. As he walked on, he hoped that everyone was ok back at headquarters, he really did.

* * *

The sun did little to ease the people's fears as they went about cleaning up their wrecked home. The hotel was in shambles from the assault from last night and they were doing their best to fix it. The front entrance was completely gone, torn away by the various heartless, and the main lobby was unrecognizable from all the damage. Heartless essence coated the floors and walls as well as blood which was a hassle to clean up.

People went around cleaning up and fixing the damage with hard worn looks and staggered body language. The bodies and minds forever altered after last night's attack. Putting up new walls and fixing barriers were all being done without complaint and with as much speed as the wounded people could muster though for they had known hardship before and knew that if they didn't want this to happen again they would have to do something about it.

"Doing good guys, Lenna can you help Bartz move that beam, thanks." Squall said overseeing the construction. He was one of the few front liners that hadn't been heavily damaged. Rubbing at the bandage that ran between his eyes he frowned at the scar that was probably going to form there. A Heartless had caught him there when he had been distracted by the break of defense on the staircase. Looking back up from his clipboard he watched as the progress of rebuilding was going smoother than any of them had hoped. Only four people had died that night and though that was a blow it could have been a lot worse, the injured list was a bit longer with almost everyone having been hurt in some way or form.

Handing the clipboard off to the defense faction leader Zell, he started his walk to the infirmary to check on his friend who had been heavily hurt last night. He passed through the constructions and dodged a wood plank that threatened to take off his head on the way to his destination.

He entered the ballroom that had once been the training ground for the use in powers that had been transformed into an infirmary lead by Aerith herself. He could see her in the corner working upon someone while her mouth was moving, obviously deploying her wonderful bedside manner. There was easily over thirty mattresses and cots filled and the healing faction was doing its best to perform under the demands as they hurried to and fro from patient to patient trying to keep up with the demand.

The beds were all filled with a variety of wounded people that shifted their positions every few minutes in their attempts to get more comfortable. Groans and cries rang out as the people underwent or waited for treatment to be over. Squall looked on with a heavy heart but continued on to the person he came to see giving a few encouraging waves to other people he knew but didn't stop on his way.

Cloud bit down on his lip as he fought to control his breathing. Aerith laid a soft hand on his forehead as she laid the other on the healing gash across his stomach and chest. He was one of the few in such a critical state and she was fighting to keep him stabilized. Rosa stood on the other side of the bed and offered her silver glowing light to help her mentor heal the man. Her anesthetics were making the many dopier by the second.

Sweat covered his skin as his body rebelled at the state it was in; a heartless had gotten past his defenses when he had defended an injured Nobody. Stress combined with the injury was taking its toll on him though. Opening his eyes he saw Squall looming over him with a concerned face which caused Cloud to let out a weak chuckle as the pain killers muffled his thoughts.

"You should see the other bastard." Cloud said with a lopsided grin. Squall just shook his head as he took Cloud hand in his leather gloved one. Healing always did tend to make Cloud loopy so Squall prepared for the inevitable rambling that occurred; he always tended to talk about oranges for some reason.

"How bad is he?" Squall asked Aerith who was moving her hand in intricate patterns over Clouds wound, green energy practically poured out of them in waves. She was obviously putting a lot of energy into this.

Aerith took a moment to respond but soon looked up and pushed her bangs out of her eyes as she said "He survived the worst of it last night." She glanced down at Cloud who had his face trained on Squalls. "It was good that you got him to me when you did otherwise…" She trailed off and had a pained look cross her face before she overcame it with a sad smile.

Squall gulped unsteadily. He had almost lost his partner just like that and that frightened the usually stoic man.

A voice interrupted the moment "Squall, tell Roxas to come visit me when you see him, heh, I want to show off my new scar and tell him about the huge orange I ate yesterday." Aerith and Squall went still at his request. Cloud hadn't heard that Roxas hadn't been seen since last night, few people had with all the commotion going on. Not many people were close to the kid and didn't notice him not around.

Rosas looked back at forth at the sudden silence and guessed that something was wrong. Aerith, feeling her confusion, waved her away telling her to go work on Zidane who had gotten bit last night. She left but the dark feeling that had been brought forth did not leave her right away.

Aerith turned back to Cloud and gave a warm smile "Roxas is a tad busy right now but we will be sure to tell him…right Squall?" She looked up at the conflicted man before her. She hated to make him do this but she feared that anymore stress on the injured man would be too much for his already stressed body to handle. She also didn't want to risk the chance of him refusing treatment in favor of going to try and find his brother.

Squall mustered a small grin and nodded in agreement down at his friend to confirm what Aerith said was true. Cloud, obviously pleased at this response, let out another lopsided grin before the pain killers took their toll. Closing his eyes he released the pent up breath and let his body relax.

"I know it seems wrong but this is what has to be done." Aerith said quietly becoming suddenly more interested in her healing. Squall didn't say anything but rubbed at the bandage stuck between his eyes as he pulled up a seat and sat with his friend for a while. Looking up from her work, Aerith briefly wondered where the bandages were that she asked for.

"Hey watch where you going!" Galuf cried out at the callous man that had bumped into him. He had almost dropped the load of linens he was delivering to the makeshift infirmary. The man gave no heed to his cry which made him angry. "I'm getting to old for this." He muttered before entering the infirmary to see relieved woman rushing towards him.

The man who had wronged him walked on with purpose, his red hair bouncing up and down from the quick pace. He was on his way to the hallway where people last saw the teenager named Roxas and he was going to find out what happened.

His memories kept replaying the same part of the battle over and over again no matter how much he tried to stop them.

* * *

"Roxas!" He yelled out upon seeing his friend being pushed up a flight of stairs by the biggest Heartless he had ever seen. His friend's lithe body was slammed into the stained glass picture of two doves in flight and for a brief moment their eyes met. Roxas had fear in his dazed eyes and Axel couldn't do anything to help him.

With a sickening crash, the monstrous Heartless tore Roxas down and began to drag him up the next round of stairs. Axel felt as his heart would break in to two as he struggled to follow after and save Roxas. He was stopped by Demyx and the Heartless on all his sides. Demyx was talking to him trying to calm him down, did no one else see what happened?!

"ROXAS!" His voice felt raw from the sheer intensity of the yell that was ripped from his mouth. He heard Cloud order his side to defend the staircase but even his voice sounded calm and collect, did he not know his brother was gone?

He once more tried to break from the line but was held back by the heartless and a hand gripping his arm. He looked back to see it was Demyx. He ripped his arm away but kept fighting, he would look for an opening and when he found it he was out of there.

There never was an opening, Axel never got out, and he never was able to follow where the beast had taken Roxas. The battle had worn on until the first rays of sun filled the sky vanquishing any of the remaining Heartless. After that Axel had been caught up with helping the injured get to help even though his mind was a million miles away. Aerith had insisted that at least one of the new members of the Healing faction check him over so he had been waylaid for another hour till he was finally able to leave.

* * *

With a start Axel realized he had reached his destination. The grand staircase was a wreck with the banister being basically chewed away and the carpet forever stained by blood and black liquid. People were not focusing on rebuilding this yet so it was still in the same shape as it was this morning.

Axel had decided to start his investigation of finding Roxas at the where he was last seen and following the trail. Walking up the steps he reached the broken stain glass window, the glass had been swept up but looking into the picture he saw a few ebony feather left behind. Reaching in, he grabbed the few knowing that if his plan was to work he would need them. Stepping back he made his way up the stairs that had seemed so out of reach last night.

The hallway he entered was in bad shape. The Heartless had done quite the number on it when it had made its way through here. Some construction was already being implemented but only a few people were there. Walking on he followed the path of blood Roxas had left behind as he had been dragged by the Heartless. Wincing inwardly at what must have happened to him, he continued on till he hit the biggest blood splotch of them all.

People avoided the spot like the plague and skirted around it whenever they approached it.

"We only just cleaned up the body part." A man's voice said who was standing across from the pool of dried blood and blackness. Looking up Axel recognized the man by his blond hair and traditional tied back hair. He had a grimace and was looking sadly at the stained floor.

"Who was killed Edgar?" Axel asked afraid to hear the answer. The man answered with some names that sounded familiar but they weren't Roxas. He visibly relaxed as this load was taken from his shoulders.

"I was there, it was….horrible." the man looked as if he was about to cry as his gaze lingered on the blood of his friends. Axel felt bad for feeling the relief he had, though he hadn't lost someone, this man obviously had.

Feeling a bit like a jerk he asked "Can you tell me what happened?"

* * *

Roxas sat down on the hard ground resting for a bit before he continued on his way. The sun was now high in the sky indicating it was late afternoon and the breeze had picked up a bit causing his hair to whip annoyingly at his forehead. He was trying to keep calm but seeing the sun moving through its paces in the sky scared him. What was he going to do if he didn't find shelter before night?

Biting the inside of his cheek he stood back up and willed his body to keep going though his muscles felt a bit like jelly. He was still in the same neighborhood and blue circles still surrounded him which caused some worry. In his attempt to get out of their territory he had only gone further in from the looks of the increased blue circles.

His wing had stopped shooting pain through him and settled on just being a dull ache that pulsating in regular intervals. He hoped that it would heal quickly; it being ok by the time night hit would be wonderful.

Roxas let out a sad chuckle at his wishful thinking. With a sudden jolt he turned around, his skin had goose bumps and his feathers were all standing on end. He had the feeling someone was watching him, and more often than not, his feelings were right.

His eyes darted back and forth from the windows that seemed so innocent at first were now leering down at him. Feeling his heart start to pound, he backed up a bit keeping body ready for a possible attack. The feeling died down as if whatever had been watching him had backed off.

Standing still for a moment, he let his heart beat return to normal before turning back and heading down the street. No matter what he did, his feathers stayed fluffed up as if a small part of him was not willing to let whatever just happened go so easily. He hoped that he was just imagining things but deep down he knew it to me not so

"I need to get out of here." Roxas said to himself as he ran a hand through his bangs. One step at a time he was making his way, but to where he didn't know.

* * *

Axel stood on the roof and frowned at the scene that lay before him. The state of the roof backed up his theory that the battle had continued on up here. The elevator itself was in horrible shape from the giant hole that was now in the center. Commander Mickey was not happy about that and was trying to get it fixed down at the lowest level.

Moving out of the stairwell he looked at the crater about in the middle of the roof and was of decent size. Blackness seemed to be the primary splatter but he saw a few splotches of blood at the edge. The only thing this proved that they had a fight up here but what escalated from there was a mystery.

He walked over to the edge where the last bit of blood could be seen. He peered over and looked back up and what he saw made his mouth drop open. In front of him he saw rips in the buildings that lead down the street punctuated by a huge hole in the building at the end.

As his brain processed the information the story formed in his head of what might have happened on this roof last night. Grabbing at the ebony feather that was still in his pocket he walked down he stairs feeling like he was going crazy at thinking that such a thing could be possible.

* * *

It was getting darker and darker as he walked on. He had been walking all day and had gotten seemingly nowhere. The fear that was planting seeds in his heart made him want to rip off the splint that held his wing tightly against his back and try to fly despite the injury. Anything would be better than getting caught in the open at night.

The thought of that happening made his ankle itch. This was getting him nowhere; he had to take action if he was going to survive the night. He took notice of the buildings around him and looked to see if any would help him get away or be a good place to hide.

The first store to his right was "Wakka's Balls!" It was a sports shop that had obviously been looted by the looks of the broken window and the fact there were no more balls left leaving poor Wakka ball less.

Moving on, he came up on a restaurant. Feeling the giant hole in his stomach roar up on seeing this place, he hesitantly stepped in hoping that something had been left behind when the Heartless virus had struck. Not feeling optimistic, he lit his hand up and walked further in weaving between the upturned tables and chairs. The lack of black smudges made him hope that there were no Heartless hiding inside but if there were he knew he could run outside and be safe.

Dust filled the air and danced around in the beam of light Roxas produced. He even left footprints in the dust which worried him a tad; he didn't want leave traces of his presence behind for others to find. The growing emptiness in his gut moved him onward.

Entering the kitchen he got startled by the reflection of his light off so many objects at once. Shaking himself out of the shock he walked to the shelves that lined the back that would hold the non perishable food items. Right away he noticed something stuck on the floor. Bending over, he picked it up and was surprised to see it was a tourist's guide to Normandy City.

His eyes widened as he was about to open it to investigate further when he heard a noise to his right. Stuffing the pamphlet into his hoodie he resumed his search of food.

He hit the jackpot when he saw although the food had been picked through at one time there were still some crackers in the back and to the other side was a tub of half used peanut butter. Even luckier was a lonely can of pop that had been kicked under the shelf. Feeling for once lucky, Roxas gathered up his food and got the hell out of there. Though nothing had happened he didn't enjoy enclosed spaces as much now that the instinct to fly away was burning through him.

Outside he stepped into an alley way that was lit enough to keep Heartless from seeking shelter there but dark enough to keep whatever had watched him away or at least he hoped. Sitting down he gingerly laid his back on the wall making sure of his inured wing and dug into this feast. Peanut Butter, crackers, and warm old pop never tasted so good. As he ate he looked into the pamphlet to find a map.

* * *

"Just do it already." Axel said clearly exasperated with the conversation. Rikku stood before him tacking up more wood against a ripped up wall. She looked as annoyed as Axel at what he was asking.

"Are you even sure he isn't around here somewhere, I mean this is a big place and after that little fiasco last night everyone is a bit scattered?" Rikku questioned turning away from the growing angry man. She heard him move as if he wanted to hither but she knew he wouldn't do anything if he wanted her to help him.

"No one has seen him and I told you what I found." Axel explained. His patients with this girl was coming to an end as she blatantly went back to work unhindered by his request. He waited for a response but she just went back to pounding a nail to the board in front of her.

"Arrghh! Look fine! If you do this for me I will do one of your punishments for you." This got her attention as she quickly whirled around and poked a finger into his chest, her face near his. She narrowed her eyes, and grinned.

"Cleaning the bathrooms." She said simply still leering at him with her grin growing with each second at seeing his eyes widen.

With a growl of frustration he nodded as she stood back looking triumphant. "Will you do it now!?" He asked.

"Fine but you better not get your hopes up, I may be the best seeker there is but if what you say is true he could be anywhere in the city and there is still the chance that he didn't…" She trailed off seeing the pained look on the pyros face. Feeling guilty she wordlessly took the ebony feather and began the task of finding his energy in the city. She could have tried without the feather but it works better if there is a medium to work with.

Her eyes went blank as she spread her conscious over the city as far as she could. She trembled slightly but Axel kept his distance knowing the difficulty of this feat. She rarely did it but when she did it had a ninety five percent success rate. Axel had all his hopes on this being in the ninety five percentile.

Her eyes opened wide as he body clenched at the release of so much energy. The roil of her stomach came at full tide making her want to throw up; this was always her least favorite part of her talent. She looked up between her bangs and let out a tiny smile. Axel waited till she pushed herself back up and leaned against the wall wiping her hair back out of her face.

"I found him." She said simply.

* * *

The sun was at the edge of the ocean now displaying all its colors in a glorious display that was far better than any HD TV ever could display. He was never one to be able to read maps but here he was trying to figure out where he was. Unfortunately in trying to get his bearings he had wandered further into Blue Moons territory.

The blue circles still appeared every which way he went and if anything their intensity was growing. He was deep in their territory now and the consequences of being there loomed heavily over his head. Walking onward into an intersection, he flinched as a bird took off into flight to his right. But something was off, he had done nothing to alert the bird to his presence but yet it took off in such a state something had clearly frightened it.

There it was again, that damn feeling. Instantly his feathers stood on end and his eyes widened as he finally realized what had happened. All around him were Blue Moon members and they were slowly converging on him. He was surrounded on all four sides without any buildings to protect his sides. He whirled around trying to find a break in the lines of defense but saw none but counted at least forty in all. Some had guns while others held up hands that sparked with energy.

Sticking the map back into his hoodie he bared his teeth at them in a defiant matter as his head swirled with his stupidity of being caught in such an idiotic trap. How did he not notice them sooner?!

The guns put a damper on his ability to fight, he wasn't bullet proof and unlike Heartless, any matter of shots could take him down. They started to walk forward again which set Roxas off, he was not some dumb animal that could be trapped. He was Roxas Strife and he wasn't going to die before both his brothers were safe.

Summoning his keyblade he took a step forward and took off running towards the first line of gunners to try and take them out before a shot could be fired at him. This step though soon turned into a fall as the pain lashed out inside his head.

"NO!" Roxas yelled as the pain ripped through his skull. "NOT THIS TIME!" He shoved his keyblade into the ground and staggered to his feet despite the immense pain and took off in a run to initiate his attack. He lunged at the first gunner as shots were fired but went low to the ground to dodge the bullets.

He kept moving, not staying in one spot for too long, effectively weaving through any bullet that was fired his way. He jumped up and slammed down a Blue Moons member to his right and sent a fire of light behind him. He rolled away as shots decimated where he once stood. Jumping back he sent his keyblade shooting through air knocking his target over while he chopped his hand down on the power wielder to his left necks, he didn't stay to watch the man drop to the ground like a sack of rocks.

The pain sawed through his head causing his movement to be not as smooth resulting in a bullet clipping his side. That pain though was washed out from the excruciating agony that was occurring in his head. He staggered to the ground as the pain stepped up a level.

"Why did this have to happen now?!" He seethed in his head. He had only downed four members and that was four too many apparently.

Falling to his knees Roxas felt his will to live fire up but was unable to act as his body said no to his pleas of movement. Clutching at his head he felt something wet dribble down his face and pulled back a trembling hand to see black ooze coat his fingers. His mouth opened involuntary in surprise.

Ignoring this new plight he looked up to see the Blue Moons circling around him watching his plight with vague interest, guns upraised if Roxas decided to try anything else. He let out a low growl of defiance, he may be down but the fight wouldn't leave him till he was dead.

The eyes watched him but no one did anything until a man stepped forward.

"Alright boys, pick him up, the leader will want to question him." The burly man said with an air of authority. Responding almost immediately, two equally burly man grabbed his hands that were currently grabbing at his head and forced them behind his back where they snapped handcuffs on him. Roxas struggled against the indignity of it all but it was rather half ass because of the pain that was still sawing on his head at full force. The liquid oozing out of his head dribbled down on his face and he was unable to wipe it away.

The fury built up inside him, this wasn't happening! He whipped his uninjured wing out and caught a man under the chin sending him flying backwards. Drawing it back he broke away from the other mans grip and started to run as best he could with his hands behind his back. Hands grabbed at him though and pulled him back.

"I was hoping this would be easier." The Leader said with annoyance before bringing a gun down on his head. That combined with his heads excruciating pain was all it took to take him down. Consciousness danced before his eyes but before he fell away from the world he thought of the color red and hoped that at least he was ok.

* * *

Kind of a confusing chapter I know but that was the best I could write it.

Fun Fact of the day: In the original planning of the story Roxas was going to have Wolf ears and a wolf tail but then I changed it to wings to better suit the story.

Haha thought I would throw that in there for fun, anyways please review because it will make studying for tests so much easier.


	18. Chapter 18

I know this chapter is short but I rushed it because I wanted to get one more chapter out before anything happened. I recently was accused of writing a story simular to someone elses and when I asked them if they wanted me to take it down they said yes. I am pleading my case but I might have to take it down.

I dont know if anyone cares but yah thats it. So enjoy this chapter, I know I enjoyed writing this story. And thanks again for all the reviews.

I don't own anything.

* * *

Roxas woke up to a cold splash of water cascading on him from above. He sputtered awake to see a man standing in front of him holding an empty bucket. Roxas let out a snarl and struggled against the chains that bound him to a wooden chair. In a split second he observed his surroundings and felt his heart skip a beat.

He was in a small room with no windows and held a single light on the ceiling that swung back and forth. The door was wooden and held no windows either. It reminded Roxas of the room where he had received his pain experiments and if that wasn't bad enough it also resembled the rooms where he knew people had been tortured for information at the military base.

The man that stood before him had black hair that had bits of silver and grey playing around in it. He had sunglasses on that prevented him from seeing his eyes; this reminded him grimly of Hojo. The man continued to watch him from under these glasses, his outfit was a rather queer thing that was a red cloak and he had a really high color. There were a lot of details in it and he was obviously someone important.

"What were you doing so far into our territory?" The man asked with a gruff voice that spoke millions about him.

Keeping his eyes locked with the stranger, Roxas tried to hide his fear, and said "I got lost, I was trying to get out but you guys didn't really give me the chance." When he spoke he felt something that was dried on his face crack a bit.

The man smacked him hard across the face hard enough to make his head whip to the side. "Don't be a smart-ass with me, we had every right to kill you but we didn't. You should be grateful for that."

Not being able to help himself, "Yes I am sooo grateful for being locked up somewhere with a man beating me up." The man swooped in and held him by his sweatshirt, pulling his face close to Roxas'.

"We could, and can do a lot worse if that's what you want." He let the sweatshirt drop and pulled away with a rough expression. His body language said one thing, he wanted Roxas to be afraid of him. But why, he had all the power right now. Why would he need him afraid?

Continuing on with his insolence "You didn't keep me alive out of goodness of your heart, you want something and me and you know that." The man tilted his chin up at this comment and frowned. Roxas just smiled knowing by the reaction he got that he hit the nail on the head.

The man looked like he wanted to hit him again but he refrained and instead stuck a hand in his pocket to bring out a cell phone. Flipping it open, he pushed a few buttons before sticking it front of Roxas' face. A video played out from what he guessed was a security camera at a grocery store. He saw a team of people downed by a hoard of heartless before a bright light entered the fray. A kid with blond hair entered the view which he realized with a start, was him. He saw himself struggle to kill the heartless until Axel came and they both were able to work together to kill them off.

The video then showed him walk over to the dying man and try to help him before he handed him the piece of paper and pulled him in close to tell him his dying words.

Roxas bit his lip as he realized what he was watching; it was a recording of what happened at the grocery store. He saw himself lean over the dying man and receive the piece of paper that had held the names and coordinates.

The phone was taken away when he saw him and Axel enter the abandoned military base in the back of the store. The man stuck it back in his pocket and said "Out man talked to you and obviously gave you something and you entered the military base. You have information we need so tell me what he told you and what you found."

Roxas just glowered at him; if he told the man the information then he would be dispensable. And dispensable things in Normandy City were not kept around for long. The man continued to look at him expecting him to spill the information willingly. "Hah! Fat chance." Roxas thought.

"You need me right now and I know the instant I am not needed you'll get rid of me, so here's my plan." Roxas said leaning forward as much as the bindings would allow him. "You let me go and I will tell you what I know and then I will go with you to rescue your people." The man seemed taken aback by his blunt reaction though he didn't show it on his face or body. Roxas only knew this by his years of living with Cloud, now that was a guy who kept his emotions hidden.

The man scrutinized him, obviously trying to gain the upper hand in this situation. Rubbing his chin he let out a low chuckle before moving around behind the chair that held Roxas. Tensing up instinctively at his vulnerable position Roxas tried to move his head to watch the man swiveling around him to the best of his ability.

"Now, I am only trusting you because for some reason the best man I ever knew did but don't try anything stupid. One wrong move and you won't live a second longer." He slowly undid the chains that bound the boy against the chair before standing back and waiting to see what he would do. Roxas stood up and rubbed his wrists as he looked back at the man before reaching into his hoodies pocket only to find nothing there.

He hadn't expected it to be there, not really anyways but was annoyed all the same at not having it. Dropping his hands to his sides he asked simply "You took my map."

The man let out a low chuckle before reaching into a pocket and chucking the Normandy Tourist Guide pamphlet at him. Roxas grabbed it out of the air and stuck it back in his hoodie. The man just shook his head gently before walking out the door way. Roxas stood there, not knowing what to do.

"You have to keep up your end of the deal kid; you're going to help us get our people back." The man motioned for him to follow as he went down a long cement corridor. Roxas followed keeping his mask of confidence on his face. He was in control, that's all there is to it.

The corridor opened up and led into a subway station but it wasn't just one of those ones where you waited for the subway to come no it was a huge open area that had multiple lanes where Subways had once been stored. They were clearly underground and this was their base camp. Hundreds of people milled around staring at him with unhindered curiosity.

Old subways that were now unusable were now houses and rooms for the members of the Blue Moons. Fires had people huddled around them as they ate, huddled for warmth or just sat and enjoyed the sensation of a fire. Roxas felt a pang of sadness, and thought of another sort of fire that he missed.

A few lights shined overhead but other areas were lit by braziers. Graffiti was on the walls and formed intricate patterns of swirls and pictures that looked like they made up a story. It all made for a beautiful environment but there was an edge of sadness to the air. The smell of death and fighting for survival day in and day out can make that happen.

Biting his lip, Roxas felt like something was off. This man had agreed to readily to his plan for him not have an ulterior plan that he couldn't see. He was determined to make this work though; his plan of getting Sora out had already been pushed back so much, nothing else could get in the way.

"I never did catch your name kid." The man said as he walked onward towards the back of the human colony. Roxas ceased his observations and looked at the man's back. He noticed how the other people deferred to him as they moved on making him someone of power in the Blue Moons.

Taking note of that Roxas responded "It's Ven." He wasn't going to take any risks, so far they only knew of him from the security camera videos and he intended to keep it that way.

"Ok, Ven," He said this with another chuckle "Names Auron." They way he said it so bluntly made Roxas confused, this man couldn't trust him already could he? Auron entered a door that lead out of the main room and into what seemed to be a debriefing room by the large circle in the center and the people sat around it and looked at Auron expectantly.

"I'm glad you got him to agree to give us the information." A woman said on one end that looked at him skeptically. "But what's that on his face?"

Roxas touched his face and was reminded of the dried crud on it that had mysteriously fell seeped down his face during the fight, the thought of why that had happened still buzzed around his brain but it was pushed aside. He tried to brush the crud off and saw black flakes fly off in the process and was reminded grimly of what happened. The meeting was off to a start before he could dwell on it further.

Auron walked to a giant map on the furthest side of the room that had different places circled crossed out. "So Ven, you said you had information on our missing people." They all turned their heads towards him. Their faces showed well hidden anxiety and fear. Roxas looked away before walking up to the huge map that was way more detailed then the small tourist map in his pocket.

He closed his eyes and breathed softly to slow down his beating heart, being in a room full of strangers and the fact that if he did anything wrong they wouldn't hesitate to take him down can get a guys heart beating. Feeling somewhat relaxed he brought forth the image of the building that matched the coordinates from the piece of paper.

With confidence he grabbed a pen off the table behind him and searched the map for the building. Breaths were held behind him as he his head turned with his eyes to seek out the elusive building that had escaped him for so long. But not this time.

A smile widened on his face as he saw it, with his pen he reached up and circled it. He turned around and pointed "That's where they are." He looked from face to face to try and gauge their reactions to this revelation. Shock, and confirmation were showed on a few but Roxas didn't care.

"We're leaving tonight. Come with me Ven." Auron said as he ignored the faces of the council and strode out of the room.

Roxas followed after him with a satisfied smile on his face, though he was in enemy territory and he didn't know what was going to happen, he was happy that at least he was once again making progress towards the bigger goal.

The room was small and with all the people crowded in it, it seemed ten times tinier. Roxas had his wings pinned to his back and had his shirt over them so people wouldn't notice him. Word had been kept low on him being here since he wasn't staying for long.

Benches occupied the room and people were jostling one another to get a seat to listen to a woman in the front of the room. The woman looked to be around twenty years old but had a firm face that showed she could take anything that was thrown her way. Her hair was blonde and was very long reaching down to around her butt. A headband dotted her head and accentuated her face. He had overheard that her name was Celes or something like that.

She was talking to Auron, probably about him if he had to guess on the topic. Roxas looked away and focused on the group around him. They looked to be a rowdy bunch but an underlying feeling revealed it was all but a show to try and relieve stress before the dangerous mission.

They skirted around Roxas knowing he was an outsider but not who he was. He didn't really mind, he preferred it this way.

"Attention!" Celes barked form the head of the room quieting the horse play in an instant. She had an air of authority that was so strong it radiated off her in waves. Her eyes were strong and seemed to be able to lead an army by themselves. Roxas realized with a start that this was the woman's voice he heard over the walkie talkie.

"This is a dangerous mission and we all know it." Eyes were trained on her, unflinchingly. "A few weeks ago, during a mission, our loved ones were taken away. Not by the Wood Crows, nor by the Orange Suns but by the Military." She paused and looked at them with a look of outrage on her face. "The ones that were to save us and protect us from this threat took our people hostage. "

Solemn faces met her own. "Today we fight back, not just for them but for us, we have to show the military that we aren't taking their _kindness_ anymore. We ARE going to get our people back and we are going to solidify our spot in the future!"

A round of cheers broke up from the fighters around him. Her speech was having a positive effect on their attitude towards the mission. Fear clearly still lingered on their minds but the moral couldn't be higher. Roxas smiled, with better moral, the better chance of success in this mission.

"You know what we have to do; we have planned it for since the day our people were taken. Go get ready we have a half an hour before we depart." She gave a quick salute before she turned her back and left the room. The Blue Moons rushed into action knowing that the time had come after all the waiting.

Auron walked dup to Roxas and motioned for him to follow. Once outside the room he closed the door to close out the noise of the commotion and leaned against the wall. "We have people that can hide our presence from the Heartless so that is how we are able to leave at night."

"And at night the military won't expect an attack except against the Heartless" Roxas finished. Auron nodded.

"We are going to have a team of about twenty men and women who are going to infiltrate the building and thanks to your instructions we have a clearer idea of what we are up against. Thank you Ven. If it wasn't for you, we probably wouldn't have the chance to do this." He said as he took off his sunglasses and rubbed his nose before placing them back on.

Roxas felt guilty about not telling them his true motivation but let it go, the hope of rescuing his brother made him not want to hazard anything going wrong by telling them.

"Let's go get you fixed up; we need you in top shape if we're going to pull this off." Auron took off down the corridors of subway trains with Roxas trailing after. They walked until they ran into a makeshift hospital with injured gang members lying on rugs that were situated on the floor.

A short man walked over to them and started rambling off a list of supplies he needed. "Its been weeks since I got a decent syringe filled with antibiotics, I've asked multiple times to Auron." At least that's what Roxas thought he said for his speech was very high pitched and squeaky like a rubber duck. "Another one, have him sit over there."

Roxas did as he was told, bringing his wings in closer to his body for comfort. The doctor wobbled over and stuck a light in his eye, while at the same time telling him to follow his finger. Feeling uncomfortable Roxas followed the instructions in hope of this examination getting over with as soon as possible. He already felt his heart start to beat faster as memories of his time at the institute started to resurface.

Gulping hard he forced his thoughts to wander elsewhere as the man checked his reflexes on his knees. His first thoughts were of Cloud, he wondered if the hotel was ok as well as everyone inside. He thought on what they were doing right now and whether or not anyone noticed he was gone.

Lastly he thought about Axel. His face when he was flung into the stained glass window seemed carved into his mind. The fury mixed with fear had been his expression and Roxas hoped he was ok and not doing anything stupid like he was currently.

The Doctor made an odd noise as he examined the side of his face where the liquid had dribbled down, Roxas guessed when he had rubbed it off he hadn't gotten it all off. "Very interesting.." the Doctor trailed off as he waddled over to his workstation to grab a magnify glass.

He returned to where Roxas was sitting and poked at the crown of his head trying to find the source of the blackness but was angered when he couldn't find one. He jumped off the chair he was using to reach the height of Roxas' head and said "He checks out."

With a nod Auron looked towards him and said "Let's get you suited up."

Roxas now wore a bullet proof vest under his sweatshirt and had reluctantly taken new shoes. His tennis shoes had been with him from day one of the explosion and he was saddened when he had given them to the girl who had given him the new ones. Frowning he watched her walk away with his old friends before standing up.

He got into formation of the Blue Moons who had also been assigned to this mission and watched as Celes stood and the front and gave a salute. She turned around and started to lead them out of the giant subway station.

As they walked people gathered around and started to cheer. They knew the risks these people were taking to get their own back and were proud of them. Some waved back but most of the fighters kept their faces stoically forward.

Roxas watched the faces though and saw the sadness on all of them.

"Roxas?!" A voice cried out from the crowd. Roxas looked around in confusion for he had told no one of his real name here.

"Roxas!" This time the voice was no longer questioning but demanding. He kept searching he walked on and saw a face in the crowd rushing towards him.

"Hayner?"


	19. Chapter 19

I talked it out with BeehiveOneThreeZer0 and she said it was ok for me to keep my story up as long as I said something about it in the begining of my story which I have done so all is well and the story won't be taken down.

Thanks for all the support in your reviews, I'm so glad so many people are enjoying this story.

So without further ado, I don't own anything and take no credit for anything, I just want to write a great story.

* * *

Hayner looked like he was in shock as he walked up to Roxas. He was breathing hard and his hair was disheveled but his body was fitter and he was donned in the usual camo he was known for in highschool. With a staggered breath he took the last step forward and hugged Roxas tightly in a way that said I never want to let you go. Roxas hugged back but felt himself torn in two as he watched the squad of fighters waver at his leaving of formation.

Hayner pulled back and looked into his eyes before saying "I thought you were dead." Roxas opened his mouth to respond but closed it and looked away not knowing what to say to his stunned friend. He was overwhelmed with happiness that Hayner was alive and wanted to know about everything that had happened to him but he could feel Celes watching him, waiting for him to get back into formation.

Closing his eyes, Roxas untangled himself from Hayner and took a step back. "I have to go Hayner." Hayner gaped at him with a heartbreaking expression coating his features as he reached a hand out to his friend but Roxas stepped back once more. All eyes were on them watching the event unfold and Roxas felt his heart break.

He had found his friend, one out of three was a start but he had to keep going, for Sora. "I'll be back Hayner but right now I have to go do something." Roxas pleaded with his eyes for Hayner to understand his plight but he seemed angry now.

"Ven, we have to go now." Roxas turned his eyes downward and refused to meet Hayne's eyes as he got back into ranks and walked into the subways off corridors to the surface. The whole way to the exit he could feel Hayner boring holes into his back as he tried to grasp what had just happened. Roxas just kept his eyes on the ground and refused to let anyone see how much that had affected him.

Friends might see his emotions but strangers would never see that side of him. They exited the subway station leaving silence in their wake.

The hallway they walked in echoed their footsteps in a morose way as if it was applause for their imminent mission. Slowly they made their way out into the night sky. Roxas could feel the awe radiate off the people as they looked up at the night sky that seemed to be clearer than usual, no clouds were in sight. His wings opened just a bit involuntarily at seeing it in such a state, stretching his shirt a bit but he held the urge back.

Celes stood in front and quickly motioned for the two people who could hide them from Heartless to step forward. Immediately after they stepped forward the trained groups split into two and with a quick salute to Celes the team captain lead his team away and disappeared a moment later into the shadows with ease.

Celes motioned for the man to right to do his work. He gave a curt nod before holding his hands out letting the shadows fall engulf them until the group was one with the darkness. Roxas felt his stomach give a lurch as he felt the darkness cling to them as they moved onward.

The blackness hung like a blanket on them and was translucent to such a degree that they could see out but remain undetected by the beasts that lurked around them. Roxas was still ignorant on the details of the mission but when he inquired more about them he was told to just shut up and follow orders.

The city was quieter at night and without the sun to shine down on them to tell them all was well they felt uneasy. Instead they just had the eerie moon watching them with her silent gaze. No muttering was heard as they trekked onward with Celes driving them at a not quite a jog but the fastest walking equivalent of that. Roxas knew they only had so much time so this pace was justified.

They were to enter the building in the back once the first team made the diversion in the front. He had kept the information vague on the interior of the building on purpose so he would have his usefulness drawn out to these people. Celes had not appreciated this fact and had glared at him a couple of times to make that fact known but he didn't care. He didn't mention that he recognized her voice from the walkie talkie either, and instead was trying keep himself from making connections with these people just in case.

As the group walked on, Roxas thought back on his encountered with Hayner. Never in a million years would he have expected for that to happen. He had been so happy to know that his friend was ok and that he was apparently immune to the Heartless virus but that didn't change the fact that Hayner was a part of the Blue Moons and that at its best complicated things. Roxas didn't know if he would ever see him again but the fact that he was alive made things a bit better.

"Keep up the pace people." Celes said quietly but forcefully from the front. The group responded with stepping the pace up to another gear forcing Roxas to walk faster. Shaken from his thoughts he observed his surroundings and tried to figure out where they were but because of the darkness and the fact he still had no idea where they were in the city he had little luck. He looked in vain for a familiar street sign or building peak but nothing.

Instead they trudged down a seemingly random street though Celes walked with authority. He trusted her about as far as he could throw her but knew that without her help or the others that he would have no luck on this mission. He just hoped that this plan didn't backfire for if the failed on this mission than he didn't want to have to think about the consequences.

The building wasn't lit up, had no signs, nor did it have any other distinguishing features to separate it from the other bland buildings squished on its side. It looked as normal as a buildings could get in this ravaged city. All it had going for it was the fact that it was plopped down on the coordinates that told them that this was the building that they were looking for.

Celes had a hard look to her features as she peered around the alley ways corner that expanded out to the back of their target building. Roxas knew she was waiting for the front team to give its signal, if it ever did. A lot of things could wrong in this mission and he knew that the front team giving their position away too soon or to late was one of them. If that happened Roxas knew he would rush into that building guns blazing, metaphorically speaking, and try to get his brother out no matter the cost. And the cost that he was going to use if that's what it came down was worse than death but even than he had a plan to ensure that wouldn't happen.

An arrow whizzed through the air and hit the building across from them. It had a bright yellow ribbon on it to stand out in the night but as soon as it appeared it turned into white sparks and the only thing that showed the arrow had been there at all was the miniscule dent it had formed in the brick and mortar.

Celes stood straight up and motioned to the man beside her to hide them even further with his power. He responded quickly so soon blackness rained down the sides of the blanket that enveloped them until they could barely see out of it. Celes didn't seem to mind one bit and snuck around the corner and lead them towards the building that housed so many innocent people, well as innocent as you can get in this city.

Guns were heard in the distant as the front team confronted the buildings guards so it appeared they had time. Roxas made his way to the front of the group and walked beside Celes in preparation of contribution for the mission.

"There is a side door that leads directly to one of the sub basements this way." He said stepping ahead of Celes and towards the door he knew would lead them into the building. She followed him without saying a word but he knew she rejected the idea of following any of his orders.

They shifted with the shadow, avoiding any detection, and arrived at the average looking door on the side of the suspicious building. Celes went to open it but Roxas stopped her with a hand. When she gave him disgusted look he motioned at the almost nonexistent door alarm that blended with woodwork to such a degree it was almost invisible.

Without waiting for her to say something, he held up a hand and let out a burst of light that destroyed the alarm without it raising awareness to the other people. The blanket of darkness, where he had touched, shrank away from the light he produced and started to deteriorate, spreading out where the light had first touched it. Roxas just shrugged at the man deploying it who let out a sigh and let the darkness drop around them because he was going to have to let it go soon anyways.

This time Celes did open the door and one by one they dropped into the dark space inside the building. The room felt to be about average size and when Roxas held up a lit hand they saw it looked to be like any basement room that you would find in the average house. Concrete floors and sides revealed nothing to the true intent of this building. In fact there weren't even any doors, it was all concrete and nothing else besides the door they had entered from.

Celes made a noise of annoyance at this quandary but Roxas ignored her and instead started tracing his hands against the cold wall slowly and in a roundabout way. He felt eyes on him as he did this task but disregarded them and focused on the greater task in front of him.

His deliberate hands made their way across the expanse of grey as he felt the waves of impatient hit him. Continuing on without stuttering he ran his hands farther down until he hit it. It was simple enough indent but when traced up and down one would find it lead up and downwards in a straight line and traced the outline of a door if you followed it long enough. Roxas smirked and put his hands down on the bottom section of this slab and pulled upward using the leverage his hands gave him against the cold concrete.

At first nothing happened and Roxas just looked like an idiot trying to move a wall but then there was a groan. The wall creaked and metal could be heard sliding against metal as it slowly started to move. With a great heave Roxas pulled upwards and the piece of wall he had been working started to slide into the ceiling until it was all gone. With it out of the way it revealed a white sanitized door that looked largely out of place in this grey atmosphere.

Without looking back at the group, Roxas opened the keypad that was on top of the handle and entered the code he had memorized on the spot from those folders so very long ago. It beeped at him and emitted a little green light that said "Good job buddy, you're almost there," to Roxas.

He slowly opened the door and peaked out to see feel a sense of déjà vu envelope him. It looked exactly like the institute where he had stayed for so long. They had his brother in this place and there would be hell to pay after.

The hallway was empty except for a few passing security cameras that turned to survey their area every few seconds. Roxas knew the exact location of each one and pushed the group that was starting to come out back. He motioned to the man who could mask with darkness forward.

"Can you cover those cameras in darkness?" Roxas asked looking out the door for any security that may pass through. The man nodded and screwed up his face in concentration as he manipulated the shadows behind the cameras to cover them for the moment. Roxas didn't know how long the man could keep them up so he started to move forward and out the door.

He kept his ears alert for anyone else coming their way; they place seemed pretty dead tonight in this area but better safe than sorry. He just hoped that the security that was usually stationed here was busy with the front team.

Celes passed him and led the group down the hallway, there were only five of them but Roxas felt like the group was too big for a mission focused on stealth but he knew if they did get caught they would need more than two people to fight them off. He caught up to Celes and walked beside her, effectively letting her lead but telling her where to go. This mission was too important for her stupid pride to get in the way.

The hallway had many doors that lead off of it but Roxas didn't bother with them. In the schematics of the building it had shown that those doors were just offices or labs, in order to store all those people they would need a bigger room. And that room was farther underground.

He directed her to a door at the end of the hallway that led to a stairwell that went downward. More security cameras more shadow manipulation the usual drill that was becoming normal on this assignment. The stairwell seemed to descend into the very core of the earth the way it went down, down, down.

At around the third flight of stairs, they exited into a hallway with windows that showed the expanses of the rooms that were directly off of it. It was exactly like the hallway he had walked down behind Hojo when he was first taken in the institute.

The faces of all those people being tortured had never left his mind so he was relieved to see all of the operating tables were currently empty but the dried blood that could not be washed off still stained the metal. Looking into the windows Roxas saw his reflection and was shocked by what was reflected back at him.

It had been so long since he had last seen himself in a mirror that he felt himself miss a step before he continued walking. His face looked weathered and his eyes seemed cold and hard with the blue looking as cold as steel. A faded dark stain went down the side of his face where it had not been washed off yet.

Roxas forced his head forward and away from the reflection he didn't recognize. No one had noticed his pause or hesitation so they continued on, down the hall away from the worn operating tables. A pair of huge double doors were at the end of the hallway and Roxas could feel something in the bottom of his gut twist.

This was it, he knew, he could feel it, his brother was behind those doors. Roxas bit down hard, trying to overcome the urge to bolt through the doors without checking the perimeter.

They reached the door and the shadow man made short work of the cameras. Slowly they pushed open the doors to enter a hallway like the one they were just in but bigger. Glass paneling lined the walls but like the hallway they were bigger. The hallway stretched down farther than the previous one as well going for quite a ways before ending in a set of double doors.

Roxas' heart started to beat faster; he could sense his brother if that was possible. He was here, somewhere. As they started down the hallway gasps were heard from the members of the group as they recognized their people behind the glass. Celes spouted order but Roxas didn't pay attention, his ears were deaf to the world as he searched the glass panels for the familiar spiky brown hair he knew so well.

He saw a girl with green hair, and another with black. Their faces meant nothing to Roxas as he scouted out further ahead of the group. They were already breaking into the prisons and getting people out but Roxas moved onward, unaware of everything else besides the panels of glass.

And then there he was. He was behind the glass sleeping on a small cot, his hands fell limply to the ground and a black band was enclosed around his ankle. His face seemed as worn as Roxas' but he knew behind those eyes was a spark that never would go out.

Roxas' eyes widened and he quickly went to the door and unlocked it with a quick destruction of the lock. He stepped in and rushed towards Sora and with a trembling hand he started to shake him awake.

"Sora, wake up, c'mon wake up." Panic was hinged in his voice as he struggled to stir his brother. Then slowly he saw Sora's eyes open and look at him. They were dazed and washed out from all the drugs they had pumped into him to keep him quiet and sedated causing Sora to look at him with an unfamiliar gaze. Roxas felt tears prick his vision as he saw Sora slowly break out into a wide smile at him.

Roxas pulled him into a hug and heard Sora say bit by bit. "I knew you weren't dead." Roxas just hugged him tighter while shoving his face into his brothers back. It had been so long since he had hugged his brother and the feeling was one of the best he had ever felt.

He drew away reluctantly and helped Sora sit up; summoning his keyblade he smashed it down on the device around his ankle and watched it drop to the ground as it emitted sparks. Sora seemed wobbly but stood up anyways. His clothes were dirty and torn, but it looked like he hadn't been here for long, thank god.

Walking with focus he said "We need to get Riku." His voice, though dazed, had urgency in it. Roxas looked up to where his brother was looking and saw in the room across from Sora was a man with short silver hair. He was already awake and was gazing at them trying to get Roxas' attention. Sora leaned against the wall as Roxas crossed the hallways threshold and let the man out with another destruction of a lock.

Without a word of thanks the man rushed out the door and hugged Sora with all his might just like Roxas had done a few minutes before. Roxas was confused, was this the other operative that had been sent on the mission with his brother. He watched as they pulled apart slowly with Riku having a frown on his face. He whispered something, but Roxas didn't catch it, before brushing Sora's bangs out his eyes. Then without further delay he leaned in and kissed him with passion.

Roxas had seen a lot but this action caused his mouth to drop open, his brother was gay? They pulled apart only to hug once more, Roxas saw Sora was crying and that was too much. He walked over and motioned for them to separate. Riku did so reluctantly and Sora gave an embarrassed look but Roxas was passed caring about the kiss. He summoned his keyblade which surprised Riku and rammed it down on Rikus leg device.

"Who are you?" Riku asked as he kicked the device away and calmly helped Sora up to a standing position with him leaning against Riku for support. Roxas wished he would be the one helping Sora but let it go and looked back at the activity behind them. The Blue Moons were opening every door and were busily getting all the rescued people together.

"That's my brother, Roxas." Sora said with pride as he looked at Roxas with a smile that was lopsided.

"Why is he like that?" Roxas asked motioning toward Sora who was humming quietly. Riku looked at Sora and then looked back at Roxas.

"He resisted, so they pumped him full of drugs to make him more docile, they should wear off soon." Roxas nodded and looked around feeling uneasy, something was wrong. He pulled on Riku shoulder and hurried them forward towards Celes.

"We need to get out of here now." Roxas told her, he was worried. The pit in his stomach was lurching violently and he kept looking over his shoulder expecting someone to be there.

"Yes…yes we do, but you, no you're not leaving." Celes said serenely. "You know too much Roxas, where our base is, our group dynamics, and who are leader is. You are too much of a threat to allow to live." She pulled out a gun at this statement and pointed it Roxas' head. "I'm afraid this is where your story ends."

She raised it higher and walked towards Roxas slowly who stayed stock still. Everyone was quiet and the only sounds in the room were her boots hitting the floor. She steadily put the muzzle to his head. Roxas' instincts were screaming for him to move but he was frozen, like a deer in headlights.

A slick noise was heard of metal pushing through flesh. Roxas opened his mouth as he saw the sword that had pushed clear through her stomach, come out the other end. Celes looked just as confused at the metal she sprouted out her abdomen.

"What…?" Celes gasped as she dropped the gun to the ground and went down to her knees as she grasped the metal in front of her.

"We can't have you killing one our important members now can we?" A calm collected voice said. Roxas knew that voice all too well. The sword was pulled out smoothly and Celes tumbled to the ground, blood pooling around her in the process. A tall man stepped forward with his silver hair cascading down his shoulders and his single wing held behind his back. A grin was on his face showing that he was enjoying his job at the moment and gaining much satisfaction from the slaughter.

"Hello Roxas, it's good to see you again. I was wonder when you would return." Sephiroth seemed unperturbed by all the stares he was getting and stepped over the body of the dying woman who was twitching it spasms but soon grew still as her eyes glassed over.

Seeing this happen Roxas reacted the only way he knew how "Riku! Get Sora out of here!" Riku was glaring at Sephiroth, which made Roxas feel that they probably knew each other.

"I don't think I can allow that Roxas." Sephiroth lifted his sword and pointed it at his weak brother and his apparent boyfriend. Roxas knew they didn't stand a chance in a battle with this deadly man so he did something crazy instead.

"Leave them alone." Roxas said with authority and placed the fallen gun by his feet to his head. "Leave them alone or all your work will go down the drain in a single shot." This action made Sephiroth hesitate. "Get him out of here Riku!" Roxas demanded once more, his eyes never leaving the steely grey of the man in front of him.

Riku gave a nod and instead of running down the hall with Sora to get out, he held out his free hand and summoned a black ethereal portal like the ones the Nobodies at the grocery store had done but without the watch like applicator they used.

Sora seemed to have gained enough of his senses to understand what was going on and struggled against Riku's hold. "Wait, what about Roxas?!" Sora was panicking now and Riku was having a hard time holding him back from running towards his brother.

"Sora" Sora stopped struggling; Roxas had to do this quick. Sephiroth looked like he was going to attack any second despite his threats. "Go with Riku I'll be right behind you guys ok?"

Sora looked unsure but nodded and said "Promise?"

"Promise" With that Riku was able to pull him away and into the dark portal which disappeared behind them instantly. Roxas was grateful his brother had been so doped up; otherwise he knew there was no way his brother would have left him like that. Roxas still held the gun to his head and saw that Sephiroth was ignoring the fleeing Blue Moons, Roxas brought himself together and did what he had to do, and that was distract Sephiroth long enough for those people to get out.

"Why are you even here?" Roxas asked, he started to move backwards as Sephiroth started to inch toward him. Roxas knew he was contemplating how to get the gun out of his hands without Roxas being able to fire.

"I was sent here because they knew you would return. You have pushed back a lot of important dates with your little escapade Subject 7." He said the last part dripping with loathing. Sephiroth hated him for the fact that he had grown two wings or that the military seemed to prize him more, Roxas didn't know.

Sephiroth continued to talk, as if to get it off his chest. "Roxas you do know why you're so special don't you? It's because you're the accumulation of the past decade of research but you went and screwed it all up for the higher ups when you escaped. You might just be another notch in their bedposts now Roxy." Roxas was running out of hallway to back out of and even though the people had long left the room he didn't want them to get caught on their way out.

"Why me though, what makes me so special?" Roxas asked trying to buy more time and actually interested in the question.

"That just it Roxas, you're not!" Sephiroth stopped inching forward and started to cackle manically. "You were random, any Nobody would have done but we got you first, plain and simple. It was luck Roxas, all luck." Roxas glared at the man before him. He had been through hell because of the simple fact the military had found him that fateful day and not some other poor sap.

"Now please put the gun down now Roxas, you're going to have so much fun here. It will be just like old time." With this sentence, Roxas felt his heart stop. This was it, he was stuck, he knew if he ran for it Sephiroth would run him down and if he attacked the same would happen but in a different sequence.

Roxas had once told himself that he would rather die that be back here and he still stood firm in that belief. Breathing in hard, he readied the gun and gave a quick salute to his former mentor before pulling down on the trigger.

The gun was ripped from his hand as the gun went off leaving Roxas very much alive and on the ground. Roxas tried to get up but something gripped his hands and held them behind his back. He let out a cry of frustration as he was pushed into the ground harder by the same force. He struggled against it but it was no use.

Sephiroth walked up and stood over him. Crouching down on his knees he stared into Roxas' eyes and said "Welcome back." And then he laughed.

* * *

Hot damn, why am I so mean to Roxas?

Anyways fun fact number 2: In the original script of the story I had Roxas have Claustrophobia but took it out feeling that it was more of an annoyance than a story enhancer.

So yep thats it, its all for you guys, so please review and tell me what you think so far or give your two cents on what you think should happen. And oh yah, if I get a review I will eat a orange!


	20. Chapter 20

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and to those who are wondering, yes I do indeed love oranges.

Now were in the twenties people, hoorah for that my story is in its prime!

I own nothing but the sweat on my brow, and enjoy this chapter :)

* * *

Sephiroth stood up and looked up upon hearing something. Someone was walking into the room and because of the fact he was lying on his stomach with his chin digging into the ground, Roxas could barely see it was another man that was dressed in the same fashion that Marluxia and Larxene had worn that day at the grocery store. His hair was silver similar to Sephiroth's but it wasn't as long and was slicked back with odd ends splaying out behind his bangs.

He radiated power with waves and from the looks of it was responsible for the immobilization of his hands. He tried to summon his keyblade but when he reached for it, it refused to come to his hand. Roxas shut his eye and felt devastation fill his heart though he tried to push it back. He had worked so hard to get away from these people and here he was, right back in the hands of the organization that screwed him up in the first place. He berated himself and then yelled at anyone who was listening in his head.

"Is this really the elusive Subject Seven?" He heard the new man say with an almost bored tone. "From the descriptions they sent us from the institute you would have thought we caught the strongest Nobody ever created. All I see is a scrawny kid." Xemnas then directed his attention to Sephiroth "Though he isn't much, you were lucky that I was here Sephiroth, without me, would have lost him and you would have been held accountable."

Sephiroth glared at the man before moving his sword to the man's exposed throat. "Remember this well Xemnas, You may be the leader here but I am above you in ranks so watch what you say." The men seemed about to trade blows but were distracted when another person entered the room. Roxas shifted his body to see who it was and saw a man with long tannish hair with two long bangs that framed his face. The way he held himself and the cocky expression reminded him grimly of Hojo.

"It seems like you two aren't totally useless after all." The man brought a hand to his mouth while cocking his head to the side as he observed Roxas on the floor. Roxas tried to get up once more but was held down by the strong force almost immediately causing him to slam back down on the ground unceremoniously.

"Stop struggling Subject Seven, it's no use." Xemnas said absentmindedly as both he and Sephiroth watched the man enter but remained silent on the man's last comment. He continued forward until he was beside Roxas where he kneeled down beside him. His black robes shifted as he moved and Roxas tried to move away, the fighting instinct not dying down, but he was stopped when a hand was brought down on his head to examine it. His hair was mussed through as the man's gloved fingers shifted his locks in his attempt to locate something.

"What are you doing?" Sephiroth asked in mild curiosity, he and Xemnas were gazing down at them with uninterested looks.

"I'm seeing how far it has progressed since he escaped you imbeciles." He said but continued on with his work. Finally he hit something which caused a cry of success. "This is good, not as bad as I feared, must be stronger than originally thought." His gaze shifted from the head and looked down on to Roxas' back, "Hmm, did you lose your wings boy?" He patted down on Roxas' back hitting the wings softly before lifting up the hem of his sweatshirt and let out a laugh. Roxas tried kick him in the face but his leg wouldn't lift higher than an inch off the ground as the force fell down upon.

"Hiding them huh, Hojo would get a kick out of that." He let go of the sweatshirt, letting it fall back into place and stood up brushing himself off in the process before asking. "Can you bring him to the test room? I still need to run some diagnostics and we need to get him started back on his injections as soon as possible."

Without waiting for a reply he left the room, his cloak swirling out behind him. Once out of earshot Sephiroth remarked lightly, "Though I hate you, I hate Vexen more so I'll let you take care of the boy" Xemnas didn't argue against the decision and watched Sephiroth walk away. "Oh and watch out, he's a feisty one." More laughter echoed down the hall as he disappeared.

"I sometimes worry that he is really losing it." Xemnas said as he casually looking down the damaged hallway and at the empty rooms. Seeing Celes corpse still bleeding on the ground Roxas briefly wondered if the Blue Moons had gotten out or not. Xemnas turned his gaze down towards Roxas interrupting his thoughts and brought him forth to reality where he desperately tried to summon his keyblade but to no avail.

Roxas let out a growl as he watched the man's hand descend down and clamp the back of his sweatshirt. Pulling upwards the man easily lifted Roxas up into a standing position. Roxas tried to get away but his legs felt as if they were in molasses. The hand that gripped his sweatshirt jerked him back and towards where Vexen had disappeared.

"No! Let me go!" Roxas was sick and tired of this; he had been caught and taken to the institute. Three hellish months later he had escaped. A measly week later he was captured by the damn Blue Moons and had been swindled into helping them. And now fucking this?! Hell no!

"Arrghh!" Roxas cried out and pulled away from the grip as his body wrenched free. Xemnas seemed more annoyed than mad at this attempt and watched what he would do next.

Roxas stepped back and tried to get his hands free of whatever was holding them but they seemed glued together. Then he tried to release light but the familiar tug in his gut was absent and nothing happened. Roxas looked up just in time to see Xemnas flick a hand upwards and before he knew what was happening Roxas felt himself whipped to the side. Micro seconds later he slammed into a panel of glass that lined the wall. He didn't slip to the ground for the same force that had trapped him on the ground moments earlier was now pinning him to the wall.

He struggled against the increasing pressure but prevailed in gaining nothing and only succeeded in moving a few inches. The glass cracked under him as he tried to get free and groaned under the weight being applied to it. A cry of anger rang out of his throat as he rebelled against the power the man was emitting.

With a sigh the man let his hand drop to his side, and Roxas fell to the ground with a crash. Heaving hard he felt his hands were free and hefted himself up. The man only looked at him without emotion, and when Roxas saw no emotion, he saw no emotion. No undercurrents in his eyes, no subtle body language; there was nothing, just a dark empty void devoid of any feelings.

Roxas' mind raced as plans on what to do ran through his brain. He instinctively tried to summon his keyblade and with a cry of success it came to him. Again, nothing, no emotion crossed Xemnas face as he took in this new development. Roxas breathed hard and licked his chapped lips feeling uneasy; Xemnas was just too damn comfortable.

But that wasn't going to stop Roxas from at least trying to resist, without warning he chucked his keyblade at the man and rushed him on the side. Without blinking the keyblade stopped midstream on its course and hung in the air two feet away from its intended target. It didn't stay there for long as Roxas summoned it back to his hand and swung it at Xemnas' torso with his left hand.

But instead of hitting the man's body it felt like it collided with clay, it moved but at a much slower pace as it entered into the foot long diameter around the man. The man just regarded Roxas' trouble with cool indifference before flicking his hand downward. Roxas felt himself being pushed to the ground once more and tried to stave it off. He struggled mightily against the force but his knees bent as he was forced to kneel. With another simple flick he was flung to the ground a little bit away. His keyblade had disappeared as all his energy had been redirected against the energy.

Xemnas walked over to him and once more his hands were forced against his back roughly by the invisible force. Xemnas grabbed Roxas' hair and tilted his head upward roughly. "I trust there won't be any more outbursts from you in the future Subject Seven?" He let go of Roxas' hair leaving him lying on the ground. The hand descended once more on his sweatshirt and this time Roxas didn't try and fight as he was lead away.

* * *

Mickey slammed his hand down on his desk as the rage overpowered his sense of authority. He looked up at Squall who seemed unfazed by this show of anger and looked away once more as the news that had been delivered rang in his ears. The papers on Mickey's desk were in more disarray than one could think possible as he had puzzled over them. But now this?

Rubbing his forehead with one of his massive hands he said "We have lost a good number of people in the past few days and now you're telling me Axel has gone missing?" Mickey fought to control his anger. He knew that Squall wouldn't have had anything to do with this but with Cloud out of commission he was the next reigning leader under him and that meant that he was the messenger of all bad news.

"We think he went after Roxas Sir." Squall said simply still not having shown any reaction to his leader's outburst but kept his gaze focused on what his Commanders reaction would be next. Mickey rubbed his eyes as he tried to stop the headache that was coming towards him. Bad news had been pouring in ever since that night and this just added more to his pile of worries.

Over the past few days hell had broken lose, first with the two operatives that were sent on a mission hadn't returned or sent word about their mission, then the Heartless siege on their base which had resulted in loss of life as well as his right hand man being downed. And now this, one of the more powerful Nobodies had just taken off after someone who was probably dead.

"Should we go after him sir?" Squall asked. He stood straight and waited for the answer he knew before the Commander had answered.

"No, we already have shortages of men who can fight after the attack; we need everyone here while we recuperate. Axel made his choice." Squall didn't comment on this decision, though he and Axel had always been at odds he always knew the pyro had had his back. Though he knew it was best for the group, it left a sour taste in his mouth at this order.

A knock at the door diverted their attention. "Come in." Mickey said sounding a bit defeated. A person poked their head in which Squall recognized as being Demyx by the odd choice in hairdo. Demyx seemed at loss for words once he entered the room completely, he fidgeted about unsure of himself and the Commanders glare wasn't helping things.

Quickly losing his patience Mickey said sternly "Demyx, what did you come to tell me?"

He flinched outwardly at the strict words and said "Commander, its Sora and Riku, they've returned."

Mickey stood up abruptly and walked around his desk until he was in front of the scared mullet wearer. He put his hands on the man's shoulders and asked "Where are they?" Demyx looked extremely uncomfortable at being this close to an angry leader but was able to stutter out his answer.

"In the infirmary, Aerith sent me to get you." Without another word Mickey left his office and walked with purpose towards the infirmary. The two men who remained in his office just stared after and looked at each other.

"I guess our meetings over with then." Squall said quietly itching at the newly formed scar between his eyes. Demyx still looked scared, after the heartless attack he had been more fidgety and flinched at the slightest noises and sounds. He had gotten better but Squall could tell he was still shaken.

Walking over to Demyx' side he put a rough hand on the man's shoulders and said "Go get some breakfast Demyx; you look like you need it." With a pat he left the room and walked towards the main room to go help delegate repairs.

* * *

All heads turned towards the door as the Commander burst into the room and headed towards Aerith who was currently working on Sora and Riku. The stares he collected did nothing to stop his progress and soon people got back to work either helping or recovering from wounds.

The first thing he saw was the fact that Sora was wide awake and looked like he was panicking, Riku was lying on his bed and just looked blankly at the ceiling. Aerith had placed both of them by Cloud probably because of the family ties but Cloud was still knocked out from his injury and didn't seem to notice the fact that one of his brothers' was safe. Mickey heard Sora was talking and hadn't noticed his arrival yet.

"How could you leave him!?" Sora said, his sound level rising with each word he said, and seemed like the only thing he wanted to do was get off the cot and do something. Riku was still staring at the ceiling not meeting the angry brunette's eyes. The guilt barely showed on his face but it was there.

Sora suddenly arched his back from the bed and put his hands over his face to cover his pained expression. "He was my brother Riku, I was knocked up on painkillers, and you just left him there to die!" Sora let his back fall back to the bed after Aerith pushed it down with a hand. She looked as concerned as Sora. Mickey knew she had had a soft spot for the blond and had been worried when she didn't find him after the battle but put on a brave front at having so many wounded.

"He's not dead Sora." Riku said quietly. Sora turned his head violently towards his friend, his spiky hair bouncing from the movement even though it was dirty as all hell.

"And how the hell do you know that!" Sora tried to jump out of the bed but was once more held back by Aerith who was having a difficult time healing the wounds he had sustained. Sora gave an apologetic look towards her but then faced Riku once more with a glare as Riku began talking.

"The only reason we got out alive was because he threatened to kill himself, if they wanted him dead, that threat wouldn't have made much sense." He looked like he wanted to say more but stopped talking once he noticed Mickey was upon them.

Whipping his hand up to his forehead and then letting it drop he did a quick salute in a military fashion. Mickey surveyed them, Sora was dressed in clean clothes and from his bandaged up elbows he had recently been given a lot of injections, besides that he seemed to be in relatively good shape besides maybe a broken rib from the looks of how Sora handled himself.

Riku seemed to be a bit worse off, he too was in clean clothes but he was bandaged up on his arm and on both legs. He also seemed to be more secluded to himself than normal, refusing to meet anyone's gaze and still looking up at the high peaking ceiling above them.

"Are you two in good enough shape to report on what happened?" Commander Mickey asked giving off a wave of authority as he did so. He stood straighter and cut the impressive leadership figure that made many people stop what they were doing elsewhere and gaze at him with unrepressed awe. He was leader for a reason.

Sora still had his hands over his face but Riku responded to his inquire with a hard edge to his voice. "Yes Commander we did, we tracked down the man named Xemnas and trailed him until we believed we had gained enough intelligence that would be suitable for such a mission."

"What happened? Why did you report in so late?" Mickey asked, what could have possibly happened that his best operatives had been caught. Different scenarios had been rushing through his head these past two days but he wanted to know the truth.

"It had been a week into the mission when we had tracked Xemnas and a man with blue hair that we believed to be named Saix to a supposed military base down on the east side of the city. All was going well until a harmless shift in the wind occurred. At the time I didn't think anything of it but then Xemnas' companion started to sniff the air wildly before looking straight at me and Sora who had been currently on a roof overlooking them. Before we could react it was like someone had switched the gravity on high."

Riku breathed deep and continued. "We never stood a chance." Mickey brought up a chair and sat down. They had known Xemnas was one of the leaders of a group of military operations here in the city but they had known next to nothing about him. Mickey had sent these two in hopes of gathering information that would help them which they did but at what cost?

"What happened next?" Mickey laid his head in his hands and stared at Riku but this time it was Sora that spoke.

"We were taken to the military base and stuck down in a basement where they were holding other Nobodies by the looks of it. All our attempts to fight back or escape just resulted in us being drugged up and what seemed to be a power inhibitor placed on our ankles." Sora dropped his hands from his face and let them fall down onto the bed and continued talking, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "We were, for the most part, left alone for they seemed to be focused on dealing with the people that had come before us. They came around to us a couple of times to see what our powers were but that was all we had time to go through."

Sora stopped talking and Riku picked up the next part of the conversation almost instantly. "They seemed to be particularly interesting in my power but I could just be reading too much into things."

Mickey looked out on the room that held all the injured people contemplating what he had just heard from his top operatives and asked, "How did you get out?"

With this question, Sora rolled over and looked at the sleeping form of his older brother for comfort. "Roxas got us out, he and this group of people that looked like they were the Blue Moons came in and got us and the other Nobodies out." Sora's voice trailed off as if it hurt to talk about it. Though Sora barely remembered what had happened he remembered seeing his twin brothers smiling face and then a crushing hug. Another brief memory was of a promise, his brother had promised he would be right behind them but that was had been a lie.

Mickey though was stunned; for the past few days he had been convinced the kid was dead and thought everyone who had hoped was wrong. But not only was he alive he had somehow gotten the Blue Moons of all things to help him. "Why were the Blue Moons helping him?"

Sora spoke up and said, "I think they had a deal going but their leader seemed to have double crossed him, she said something about him knowing too much and pointed a gun at him but before she could shoot, Sephiroth killed her."

Riku interrupted him and said, "Then Roxas told us to get out of there so we did." Sora was silent at this part so Riku turned to him for the first time and said "Sora, we had no choice, if we had stayed we would have been recaptured or killed." Though all Riku said was true Sora didn't agree.

"It was still wrong." Sora said quietly over his shoulder.

"What happened to the rest of the Blue Moons?" Mickey asked trying to wrap his head around the events that were just told to him. He had heard of Sephiroth from the reports Axel had given him earlier and from other scouts that had seen him but he never operated inside the city from what he knew.

"Don't know, we got out of there but from what I can remember they were escaping when we left." Riku explained as he gripped his hands on the edge of the cot. Mickey leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples, he was glad two of his best operatives were alright but Roxas and Axel were still missing.

Mickey stood up and told them "Once you two are feeling better, I expect a full report on what happened on my desk. You two have valuable information and I will want to have it on record." He nodded towards Aerith to proceed with her work and turned to leave but stopped when he heard Sora ask a question.

"We're going to go get Roxas, aren't we Commander?" Sora asked turning in his bed and sitting up despite Aeriths protests. Mickey let his head fall down as he turned around to deliver the bad news.

"No Sora, we're not."

* * *

Roxas stood in the middle of the testing chamber with his hands forced behind his back. Xemnas stood in the corner and watched with little interest at what was going on and instead seemed to be wishing he was somewhere else. Roxas just gritted his teeth and waited for whatever was going to happen to be over with like he had done so many times before at the institute.

So far Vexen had just watched them enter and told him to stand in the middle of room while he wrote finished writing something down on a clipboard. The pens scratching came to a halt as he finished whatever sentence he had been working on and put the clipboard down. He reached into a cupboard that and pulled out a familiar looking device that took only a second to register in his head, it was like the ones that Sora and Riku had been wearing that he had smashed off. Vexen shut the cupboard loudly and walked over to Roxas and leaned over enough to pull up a dirty pants leg in order to snap the device onto him.

Pulling away, Roxas attempted to stave off the attempt but was held in place by a simple wave of the hand by Xemnas. With a click it was fastened to his ankle and Roxas felt the hate bubble up as he looked down at the spot it was currently at on his ankle. The black device just let out a low green light to indicate it was turned on, unaware of the hatred that was being sent its way courtesy of Roxas.

"There we go, that should prevent you from using your powers when Xemnas isn't around, isn't that wonderful." Vexen said with a smile, "Now let's see those wings of yours." He pulled a pair of scissors from a pocket on his trench coat and moved around to Roxas' back. Tensing up, Roxas waited for the inevitable.

The scissors bit into the sweatshirt he was wearing and drew up until they slice through air above his neck. He kept his wings tight against his body in hopes that was all he was going to do but knew he was wrong from the start. Vexen grabbed his right wing and pulled it out, extending it until it was out all the way out. His touch made his insides squirm; he hated people touching his wings.

Vexen rifled through the feathers, checking for any abnormalities that may raise any concerns. Placated, he dropped it and allowed Roxas to draw it back. Next was the left wing, his broken one. Roxas braced for pain and breathed deeply in advance.

The touch brought forth no pain but he waited for it as his wing was pulled out. Vexen stopped pulling it out noticing the ripped piece of shirt binding the plank of wood to the broken bone. "Looks like your wing took a stumble here." Vexen said as he undid the piece of cloth and let the wood drop to the ground. No pain rose up though so Roxas experimentally extended his wing to find there was still no pain.

Vexen, noticing the confused look, said "Your bones mend fast Subject Seven, you really shouldn't be that surprised." With a chuckle he did the same to this wing as he did the first before letting it go. Picking up the discarded clipboard he made a few notes as Roxas pulled his wings in tighter trying to get the feeling of the man's hands off them.

Putting it back down on the counter he opened a drawer and took out the all too familiar syringe filled with dark liquid. "I know you have missed these." Vexen said with a smile as he approached Roxas. Pulling his elbow out Vexen stuck it directly in a vein and slowly drew down on the top injecting all the liquid in. Roxas held his breathe as he waited for the high pitched pain to stop and breathed out once the needle was withdrawn.

"That should put you back on schedule and reduce the headaches you must have gone through as well as the black discharge." Vexen said as he disposed of the used needle. What happened next was just the usual checks that he had been put through so many other times at the institute, the déjà vu it brought forth made his head spin a bit. The usual pocking and prodding occurred as well as blood being drawn occurred.

"That should wrap things up for now, very impressive Subject Seven, you exceeded my expectation. Not only are you still viable but you seemed be improving at a much faster rate than was thought possible. Just as long as you keep up with these injections all should be well." Vexen said cleaning up his mess. "I'm done Xemnas, thank you for the help." Vexen said as he bowed his head in deference towards the man.

Xemnas ignored him as he walked up and grabbed Roxas at the base of his wings dragging him effectively forward. "We're done with you for now but get ready for tomorrow; we're going to have to see how far you powers have progressed."

Roxas trudged forward rejecting the feeling the man brought forth where he held him on his wings. Trying once more to summon his keyblade he wasn't surprised when the familiar weight of metal didn't fall into his hands. Roxas let his head fall down to his chest and fought back the urge to yell out his frustration. What the crap did he ever do to fucking deserve this except exist.

* * *

Axel stepped out into the light and exited the safe house he had stayed in during the night and looked up at the sky and smiled. He was going to find Roxas, that wasn't a question anymore.

* * *

Gah, Roxas just can't catch a break in this story can he? And damn am I making Mickey kind of a douche, never did like him in the game that much though.

Fun Fact Number Three: In the original script I had Axel being able to see in the dark but took it out because I thought he was overpowered.

So I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and please review and I will jump for joy and high five a bear!


	21. Chapter 21

This chapter was soooo hard to write for some reason, just could not get into the groove like I usually can.

Thanks for the reviews I got, it really helps me feel motivated to write when I get some.

Also by the way, I put up some new pictures of what I feel Roxas looks like on my deviantart so if you want to see them, go to my profile page and look it up.

I own my underwear and nothing more.

* * *

Axel locked the safe house behind him and headed down the road keeping an eye out for marauding gangs that by some slim chance encountered him. He was close to the spot where Rikku had last sensed Roxas. It was at the once busy intersection and he knew it was only a matter of minutes until he arrived there.

His trek across the city had already brought him to the spot where Roxas had apparently crashed landed and now he was supposedly walking down the same street he had walked only days ago. Finding a clue to Roxas' whereabouts was all banking on something being there at the spot where Rikku's trail went cold.

So far he hadn't run into any trouble but that could change in a heartbeat if the right circumstances went wrong. He was approaching the spot now and Axel was feeling anxious, not being able to help himself he took off into a run and sprinted down the sidewalk. Feeling energized by the sunlight he ran on without a stutter in his step until he reached the location that Rikku had described and pointed out on a map to him before wishing him good luck on finding the short bird kid.

It was an intersection where there was a four way stop that had once been one of the busier spots in the city, and a place renowned for being horrible during rush hour. He slowed down to a walk as he entered the middle of it to try and find clues to where his friend may be. It looked normal but he saw a few blood trails that died off at random locations. Axel frowned as he walked around and saw no defining clues to where Roxas could have gone and with that he rubbed his head and closed his eyes in frustration.

He had been so sure he would find something; anything would have done if it would have given him some kind of idea. The thought of calling Rikku up and asking her to search for Roxas again crossed his mind but he knew it would be useless. She had gone as far as she could last time and this was as good as it was going to get, he would have to figure something out by himself. Looking up to the sky he felt hopelessness start to creep up on him but he held it back. Roxas was in trouble, he knew it and giving up wasn't going to get either of them anywhere.

Letting his hand fall to his side, he tried once more to find anything that would point him in a direction that might lead him to his friend. Looking to the sides he saw the small smudges of blood on the tar, he briefly wondered if it was Roxas' or someone else's but the thought was interrupted by the sound of a rock skidding across the ground. Whirling around he saw a person who looked to be around seventeenish walking down the sidewalk oblivious to Axel for he was looking at something intently in his hand.

Apprehensive, Axel summoned his wheels of fire and readied them to show the stranger he was not to be messed with. He noticed the new arrival had a bandana on with the Blue Moons symbol on it, and was dressed in an excessive amount of camouflage. He felt his heart slow a bit when he realized the kid didn't look like too much of a threat but he still kept his hands gripped tightly around his weapons.

To get the Blue Moons attention Axel yelled out, "Get away from here kid, I am not in the mood to deal with you today." To emphasize his point he lit his chakrams on fire and tossed them lightly about on his fingers. The camouflage wearer seemed to take his threat seriously for he took a step back and fear crossed his face. Axel felt his heart sink a bit when he got a glimpse of what was in the stranger's hand.

"What's that in your hand?" Axel took a step forward trying to get a better look at the object in the kid's hand. The Blue Moons member looked up angrily at him and put the hand behind his back looking like he was about to bolt. Axel was pissed and was sick of going through the formalities. Without pausing he rushed forward effectively slamming the kid down before he had time to react to what was happening. Standing over the kid, he held a Chakram forward as a looming threat if he didn't do what he wanted.

Despite the metal that was frighteningly close to his skin, the kid glowered up at Axel as he thrust his hand out and opened it to reveal a single ebony feather in the palm of his hand. Axel felt his heart skip a beat at seeing the familiar looking feather that was sitting so innocently in the youth's hand.

"Where did you get that?" Axel growled as he moved his weapon closer to the exposed throat before him. The kid pulled the feather towards his heart and looked away from Axels glare before looking back at him with a searching gaze that had confusion mixed with excitement in it.

"You're that guy from the video! You were with him!" The member of the Blue Moons pushed his elbows up on the ground and leaned forward not caring about the weapon that could kill him in a instant. "You know him don't you? That's why you care about the feather!" Axel was taken aback by what the kid under him was saying. Curiosity winning over his trepidation, he stepped aside and lowered his Chakrams but kept them at hand in case this boy did anything he would rash.

Shifting himself away from Axel slowly, the kid said "Does the name Roxas mean anything to you?" The kid looked desperate as he tried to read Axels' face on whether or not that name meant anything to him. Axel wanted it that way, if he appeared too eager than the Blue Moons member would have the control in this conversation. He didn't want that, he liked how the power dynamics were right now.

The kid, upon seeing no shift in Axels' expression, looked downcast once more and brought the feather up to look at it, it was a bit crushed from how he had held is so hard but it still looked strong as it glinted in the sunlight that rebounded off of it. His gaze returned back to Axel and he said. "Look, I shouldn't be telling you this but if Roxas trusted you than I think I should to. I owe Roxas that much after letting him go on that mission with those Bastards." The feather was once more cut off from view as the kid put his hand back down and stuffed the feather into his back pocket.

"Where is Roxas?" Axel asked simply, he was done playing games. If it came down to it he would not be above beating this guy up for the information he needed. The Blue Moons Member had sealed his fate the moment he asked if he knew that name. He was lucky though, for the member seemed to be a roll and continued on his rant.

"He left last night with a group of Blue Moons to a Military building somewhere in the city to break out some of our people that were being held there." The kid then looked angry as he continued. "Only this morning when the group…well what was left of them, came back he wasn't with them and when I asked about him they ignored me."

Axels' mind was whirring with activity. Why would Roxas be helping the Blue Moons, it couldn't be because of this guy. Then it hit him, it was Sora. Roxas had used the Blue Moons to help him get to Sora but there were still questions.

Looking up he stared into the kids darkened brown eyes and asked "Tell me everything that happened."

The kid looked forlorn as he contemplated what he should do but then his eyes turned up in a defiant matter that said screw the rules, I just don't care anymore. "If you want to help Roxas then I'll tell you on the way." The kid started to walk away and Axel reluctantly followed.

"Now this is what I have heard, I wasn't there that night. Apparently Roxas stumbled into our territory and we took him in instead of killing him outright because of the video we had obtained from the security of the grocery store…"

Axel listened intently as they walked forward and interrupted the kid in his story, "What's your name?"

"It's Hayner." Hayner said as he met Axels green eyes with his own brown. And then with a nod from Axel he continued with his tale. "Roxas worked things out with our leader so he was placed in the squad that was going to rescue our people, I still don't know how he did that. As they were leaving, for the mission, that's when I saw him. I hadn't known he was there until that moment and by then it was too late..."

* * *

Xemnas' hand gripped the part of Roxas' wings where they met into his shoulders and was leading him through generic hallway after generic hallway. Keeping his eyes open, Roxas looked for landmarks so he could match where he was at with the schematics in his head but so far hadn't had any luck. With another tug, Xemnas led him into a room that looked like a carbon copy of the hallway that Sora and the others had been kept in but this one wasn't beaten up. Opening a door, Xemnas shoved Roxas in the one closest to them.

Without giving him any further explanation, Xemnas shut the door and clicked the lock closed. Roxas pushed forward on his elbows to lean off the ground to watch the elusive man leave. He looked around the room and saw it was as sparsely decorated as Sora's was with just a bed and nothing more. Frustration was starting to boil over as Roxas rubbed a hand though his hair as a catharsis.

Roxas brought his legs inward towards his stomach and wrapped his arms around his legs. Blowing out a wad of air, he rested his head on his knees and let himself feel helpless and pathetic for once. Alone with his thoughts he felt his mind wander as he tried to work out what everything had meant and to catch up with the whirlwind of events that had occurred to him in such a short amount of time. Holding himself tighter he thought back on to what Vexen had said.

"_That should put you back on schedule and reduce the headaches you must have gone through as well as the black discharge." _

He knew what he meant by schedule the instant he had heard it a thousand times when he had been at the institute. But what puzzled him was why they still cared about getting him into the Nobody special Ops, it just didn't make sense. There was no way they would go through so much trouble just for that fact so what did they want with him. Another thought that was bothering him what the heck was in that shot. The black liquid looked really familiar but the memory he wanted to compare it to eluded his grasp.

What had they done to him at the institute? At the time he was there he was past caring for all he was focused on was how the hell he would out of there. He let out a groan as the answers to these questions went unanswered in this dank situation. And that Black discharge that had come from his head, what the hell was that about? He put a hand back on the spot that it had come from only to feel nothing. No bump, no abrasion, no cut, no anything of the sort that would give him any clues.

His eyes caught sight of the black band that was now around his ankle. It was less bulky than the tracker he had worn at the institute but it was also tighter and didn't hang as loosely. It had no outside interface except for the dull green light that was lit up on the side. With it shut like as it was, the clasp where the two ends met was barely visible and not enough space was present for him to try and stick a foreign object in it to try and pry it open.

Roxas held a hand out and tried to bring his keyblade forth but only some dull sparks erupted from hand and nothing more. He then tried to bring light forth but all he got was the feeling he was going to throw up. Burying his head back into his knees he wondered briefly if Sora and Riku were ok. Thinking back on that he wondered on how Riku had managed to summon that portal without one of the devices. He toyed with the idea that he had had one but Roxas just didn't see it but or perhaps that was just Riku's power.

Getting frustrated he stood up abruptly and paced the room before extending his wings out to the largest degree the room allowed and stretching them. He moved his left wing gingerly and was glad that it had healed but was surprised at how fast it had occurred. Roxas only wished that he was in an open place so he could try and fly again. That brief moment he had flown, though it had happened when he had been fighting for his life, had been breathtaking. Closing his eyes, he could still feel the stars shining down on him along with the moon as if he had been the main performer and they had been his audience.

Roxas halted in his pacing and looked out the giant panel of glass that adorned the same wall as the door to his cell. He walked up to it as he folded his wings back in before looking out of it with searching eyes. Roxas could have sworn he saw someone in the room across from his but now he couldn't be sure. Cocking his head to the left he thought he saw it again, a brief flash of white that moved briefly before disappearing. Roxas leaned back on his heels in puzzlement at this curiosity but eventually walked away from the glass and sat down on his lonely cot in the corner.

Feeling defeated, he closed his eyes tightly and balled his hands into fists. "No, this isn't going to happen again. I AM going to get out and I AM going to get back to Cloud, Sora, and Axel." Opening his eyes he thought of Axel. They had been through so much together in such a short amount of time yet the bond that Roxas felt with him was unlike anything he had experienced before. The time they had spent together had been the happiest time of Roxas life after so much crap had happened to him.

But this was different than mere friendship; though at this thought Roxas shook his head violently. No the only feelings he held for Axel were strictly platonic. And why the crap was he thinking about such things when he was being held against his will in the worst place he could be right now. A small part of him raised its voice and said something along the lines that these thoughts were the only thing keeping him sane but he dismissed them and laid back on the bed with his feet still touching the ground and his wings splayed out so they fell over the edges.

He searched the room for hidden cameras as one thing kept repeating itself in his head. Clutching at his head Roxas got up from the bed and went about trying to find weaknesses in the room and then looking out the glass to try and find key points in the hallway. He already had the whole building mapped out in his head but some of the little details as where the cameras were and other part pertaining to other parts of the building were starting to become a little blurring.

Seeing nothing of value, his attention was diverted back to the room adjacent to his as another flash of movement caught his interest. Raising an eyebrow, Roxas gave up on trying to see who it was and sat against the wall. His went to work on how he was going to get out of here; he had done it before he could do it again.

Roxas was so engrossed in thought he failed to see a man in black walk up to the room he had previously tried to see into and led a small frail looking girl out of the room and down the hallway. He would have seen the tired worn look on her face as she trudged on but sadly Roxas did not notice for he had fallen asleep.

* * *

A rough hand grabbed him by the front of his mangled sweatshirt and started to drag him forward whether he was awake or not. Roxas grabbed at the hand and stumbled forward, trying to gain purchase on the ground as he was pulled onward out of the room he had been dumped in previously.

Roxas senses immediately went on to high alert as he was led down the hallway of rooms and out the double doors that were the exit to the hallway. His eyes took in everything around him in a heartbeat as he noticed this man was new to the people he had met recently. Blue hair flared out from his head and ran down past his shoulders and he was wearing a cloak like everyone else in this place seemed to wear, Roxas figured it was some sort of uniform.

With the man still dragging him by the front of his sweatshirt, they walked down the hallway towards who knows where. Did this man not know he had a giant cut down the back of his clothing? An idea came to him bit by bit as they walked, if he could slip out of his clothes and try to make a run for it he could maybe get outside and fly away. It was a crazy thought but when was he going to get this opportunity again? Plus he had the added bonus of having nothing to lose.

They went through another pair of double doors entering a hallway that Roxas remembered from when he and the Blue Moons broke in last night. He knew where they had entered and if he just backtracked perhaps he could get out barring the fact he got caught. He watched the blue haired man closely and watched for any sign that might give him the advantage but Roxas also knew that he had to do this fast before they exited the hallway he remembered and got lost in the maze that was this places flooring plan. Focusing his mind, Roxas pulled a Houdini and dragged his arms from the sweatshirt along with the t-shirt that had been trapped in the man's grasp as well.

Shirtless, Roxas took off running before the man knew what had happened. Sprinting down the hall he took sharp turn just as he heard a roar of anger behind him. Literally, a roar of anger. Roxas felt the hairs on the back of his neck stick up as he continued running as fast as he could away from that man. His feet thundered on the too clean linoleum and he dodged his first seen scientists as he went. Behind him he heard the man running after him and from the sounds of it he was running into the scientists instead of dodging them.

Another sharp turn almost made him wipe out but he kept his footing as he turned into another hallway that was luckily familiar to him. The man was not giving up chase and from the sound of his steps he was getting closer with each one. Roxas figured he only had a limited time before this man caught up with him which put an extra burst of speed in his run. He kept his head low to reduce wind drag and searched for the door that would lead him out of here. With a smile he saw the door he was looking for that would lead to the cement covered room and then to the outside world. Taking a quick look back he estimated he had two seconds to open the door and then to slam it shut. It would be a close one.

He began to work on the door before he came to a complete stop and had it opened it one second, it took another second to close. Luckily for him the cement part of the wall had remained in the ceiling which he promptly brought down with all his strength. He ran to the door that held the outside and burst out of it, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest in excitement. He dimly heard the cement wall being pulled up violently but he was passed caring, he had gotten out!

The sun had just began to rise on the horizon and filled his heart with hope as he ran on a full on sprint, as he whipped his wings out forcefully. He never had taken off from the ground and hoped this test run would be a successful one. He pushed off from the ground as hard as he could while at the same time pushing down with his wings as much as he could. Then he was flying, he had done it, he had gotten out.

"No you don't," a voice said slyly before Roxas slammed into what felt like a person's body that had appeared out of nowhere. Thinking back on it later, Roxas would swear the man had just popped out of the air to block his path.

Roxas then felt the queerest sensation before opening his eyes and seeing he was no longer in the air, heck he was no longer outside. He was in the hallway he had been in moments before with a hand on his shoulder holding him in place. Confused and a bit disoriented with what just had occurred he looked at the owner of the hand to see a man grinning at him from behind an eye patch and a jagged scar that ran down his jaw.

Roxas screwed his eyes up and felt his shoulders barely shake as the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness overtook him. He had been so close, the sky had been before him as he had flown but God decided to fuck with him one more time.

"I got him Saix; you need to be more careful with this valuable merchandise." The man spoke with a slight California accent and seemed to be taking this matter lightly from the way held himself. The grip on Roxas' shoulder told another story as the leather clad hand dug its fingers into his muscles and bones. Roxas looked away from the man's face to see a very angry man in front of him. The calm demeanor of this man was gone and in its place looked to be a snarling beast.

"Man, Sephiroth wasn't lying when he told us about you huh?" The man said with a chuckle as he shook Roxas gently.

"Give him to me Xigbar; I need to teach this mutt his lesson." Saix said baring his teeth. Roxas was uncomfortably reminded of a rabid dog when he looked at the seething man. He recoiled at what Saix would do to him for his attempted escape but stood defiantly, staring back unflinchingly, hiding the fear that he felt.

Xigbar shrugged and said "Ok but remember that we need to test his power sometime today." And with a grin he added, "And I hope you know what you're going to say when they find out what happened." With that Roxas was shoved forward away from Xigbar and towards Saix. Without waiting, Saix clamped his hand around the back of Roxas' neck and started to lead him away.

Goosebumps lined his barren back as he was forced forward. And like so many times before he repeated the tantrum of names to comfort himself, "Cloud, Sora, Axel…"

* * *

Cloud felt his eyes open wide and his muscles tense up as if preparing for some kind of onslaught but none came. Grimacing he leaned upward on his elbow as his other arm grabbed at his healing stomach while at the same time trying to remember what had happened after the heartless onslaught. The only thing that he could remember was bits and pieces and oranges for some reason.

Closing and opening his eyes he looked around to see from the light shining in, that it was early morning but what was more astounding was the fact that Sora was laying in a bed next to him.

Sora was asleep with a frown on his face and he was twitching every few seconds as if he was currently having a nightmare. Looking passed Sora, Cloud noticed Riku was also here but wasn't asleep and instead was gazing profoundly at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. He turned his head at a familiar touch and wasn't surprised to see it was Aerith leaning over him with her usual warm smile that made you feel as if you had just gotten home.

"I'm glad you're awake." She gently went about doing a routine check as she continued talking, "I've weaned you off the pain killers so you should be more coherent than before." He looked down at his bandaged up torso and winced as another shot of pain made its way to his brain.

"How bad was I?" He gingerly probed the bandaged area to try and gain some knowledge on his wound but Aerith would have none of that and brushed his hand away. He looked up and saw she was frowning after he had asked her his question. A cold lump formed in his stomach. "Aerith, how bad was I?" he asked with a bit more force.

"You almost died Cloud." A masculine voice said behind Aerith who flinched at hearing that. Cloud looked behind and saw Squall make his way around her to sit down a chair that was conveniently besides his bed. "You were defending a fallen comrade when a crowd of heartless' converged on you. You were bleeding out before we could get to you. It was all do to luck that you survived."

Squalls words rang in his ears as he tried to grasp the concept of the fact that he had almost died. Not wanting to think about it he turned back to Squall and asked, "When did Sora and Riku get back?" Squall glanced at Sora's sleeping form as if debating whether or not to say anything.

"Sora and Riku got back during the night. They're ok, just banged up a little bit." Cloud slumped down on the cot from relief. The past few days had been a worry fest at not knowing if his brother was ok or if the mission had gone wrong.

Then another thought crossed his mind that he wished to quall, "Squall, Roxas is ok to right?" The reaction he was hoping to get did not come forth and instead an awkward silence ensued. Both Aerith and Squall looked uncomfortable at the question but neither of them were the first to speak up on the subject.

"He's not here." Sora said plainly. "And it's all because of me."

* * *

Alrighty there it is. I hope you guys like it as much as I do. Sora's all emo aghghg. Oh well.

And once again, poor freaking Roxas, never can catch a break with me.

Fun fact: It the beginning, everyone had a physical feature such as ears or tails but got to complicated keeping track so omitted that in the end.

Anyways thats it, please review and I will tear a dictionary in half with awesomeness.


	22. Chapter 22

This chapter didnt take to long for the sheer fact I had half of it written when I turned in the last chapter so yay.

I hope you guys like it for I combed through it a lot to try and get rid of all the errors but I am sure I missed some.

Well, I own nothing but how I wish I did sometimes late at night.

* * *

Roxas felt the coldness of the floor bite into his bare flesh as he lay sprawled on the ground. His attempts to stand had been met with failure as his limbs suffered under the abuse. His left wing was draped over his body as the other one was spread out behind him for he no longer held the energy to keep them tight against his back. Another kick was delivered on his back, barely missing his wings, which caused blood and darkness to sputter out of Roxas' mouth as he gasped back the pain.

Saix was in a frenzy, his eyes had gone completely black and no intelligent thought seemed to be hidden in its depths, just the need to kill. Roxas' brain was overloaded in pain as the various pinpoints that were being tortured cried out to be heard. With so many voices crying out at once, they soon became a dull roar that Roxas barely registered anymore.

He felt Saix watching from under the shadows of the room. Roxas tried once more to stand up and attempt to defend himself from further attacks. His keyblade was out of reach due to the lovely ankle charm he wore and the light refused to obey him as well. The frustration that was roiling through his body made him quake with fury as he looked up at Saix. Though he was beaten, pushed down, half dead, his body would always refuse to call it quits and give up.

A hand grabbed his hair and wretched his head back violently, forcing his gaze to meet the man's black one. Saix panted heavily and looked like he wanted to tear into Roxas' face or rip his throat open so that blood mixed with blackness would spray out in a glorious display. He leaned in slowly as if that's what he was planning on doing but stopped short of Roxas' throat and instead licked it relishing in the control he had over the boy.

A spike in adrenaline caused Roxas' foot shoot up and knee Saix in his exposed stomach. It was a rather pathetic attempt for Roxas was at an odd angle and the stomach he had hit was far away but it was enough to give the man pause and a glimmer of sanity returned to the man's gaze. Roxas felt his hair released and he dropped to the ground with a sad thwack. Hissing out in pain, Roxas brought his hand in closer to his body as he turned over so he was on his stomach. He spit out a wad of blood mixed with the usual black substance.

"I trust that you now know the consequences of trying to escape in the future." Saix said with his calm voice returning bit by bit. His hair was still on end and his cloak was a bit ruffled with blood stains on it but the face was serene and without emotion. Roxas felt his lip twitch involuntary but he kept his lips locked and tried to make his eyes show that he was defeated.

"I'm glad you understand." He ran his hands through his hair settling the tousled bits down to the best of his ability. With that he done he walked over to Roxas and grasped him around the neck hauling forward as he had done so before he had dragged him into this random room. Roxas felt his wings fall behind him to trail on the ground after him. Breathing hard he looked down on his bare chest and saw some of his cuts had stopped bleeding but the bruises were just starting to show.

Nostrils flared, he stared up at the man that was this places answer for the Beast. Saix had his face forward so he was unable to appreciate the seething hatred Roxas was shooting his way and in result just continued towing Roxas along.

Scientists and military personal both gave them a wide berth as they walked down the hallway. Roxas and Saix did make quite the sight with Roxas half naked and bleeding while Saix gripped him around his neck with his cloak and hair in disarray. Roxas grimaced at what the people watching might assume had occurred in that dark room. More anger flooded Roxas' body but he held it in check. He now knew he had been stupid to have tried to escape when he had. If Xigbar hadn't gotten him then they would have just sent someone else, like Sephiroth. No, he had to be smart and pretend as if what Saix did to him actually had a lasting effect on him.

They pulled up to what Roxas remembered as Vexens room where he had been examined, Said shoved him roughly through the door before he could think more on it. Vexen seemed unperturbed by their sudden entrance and merely glanced up briefly before returning to writing down a clipboard. Saix brought him to the middle of the small room and stopped short looking impassively at the scientist.

"Clean him up, he needs to be ready in two hours." Without a second glance, the hand released Roxas' neck and Saix disappeared out the door. Rubbing his neck Roxas looked out the door and narrowed his eyes at the closed door. He heard Vexen let out a heavy sigh before a click of the clipboard on the counter followed after.

"I'm a scientist, not the local healer in some hobo town. I know all new recruits go through Saix hazing but I didn't think he would risk it with you." Roxas saw Vexen frown and pinch the bridge of his nose at the sight of the blood and blackness dripping on his once clean floor. "I just had the floors refurbished to. How irritating. Have a seat over there Subject Seven, I will be right back. I trust you know enough to stay put by now hmm?" Roxas pretended to look beaten, his eyes dull and lifeless, this seemed to please Vexen to some extent so he left the room seemingly without taking any prevention matters.

Roxas eyes sparked back to life and he took the opportunity that was given to him not to escape but to try and figure out some of the questions that were gnawing at his brain. Jumping off the examination table, he made his way over to the clipboard that had been discarded on the counter. He made sure he hadn't left a blood trail before getting his first look on the information before him.

On his first look he flipped through the pages and saw they were about different subjects that the scientist had gone through over the last decade. Subject One to Subject Seven were on the various papers that were pinned to the clipboard.

He started at the paper that was labeled Subject One and looked through the various pieces of information that that were on the page.

_Subject One is the first and doubtfully the last in our biggest project yet. We all have our worries what will go wrong and no one wants to have the losing formula. From my observations he is a weak little thing so it is my beliefs that it will be his will and not our tests even though they hand picked him from the selections presented to us. _

The page went on longer and talked about the experiments and tests that the subject had gone through before ultimately being labeled deceased. Roxas looked onto the next page that was labeled Subject Two where the person was also predicted right off the bat of being too weak to survive the tests as was going too used merely for collecting data for future subjects. Roxas noticed that the person had exceeded the previous subject in the number of tests he had gone through but died in the end as the scientists had predicted.

He looked at three through five and saw the same series of events repeat themselves over and over again. To weak, not strong enough, not enough potential but one thing that seemed to change besides the people was the fact that each subject went further and further than the one before it in terms of experiments they were put through. Roxas guessed that the experimental data they collected with each one gave them new insight on how to change their proceedings.

Subject Six was different though; he was a hailed as the one that would complete the program and be the finished product they were apparently trying so hard to get. He went through nearly twice the experiments that all the other Nobodies had gone through with reports of being excellent and astounding. But then the reports died out and despite their praises, the information on the man cut off suddenly and a mark on the bottom of the page read, no longer viable.

Notes were scribbled in the margins about different amounts of various elements they were using, calculation also marked up the page, for what, Roxas didn't know. He then moved on to the final page marked Subject Seven, him. He read the first comments that were listed.

_Ran out of the subjects we had lined up in the beginning. The military has brought in a Nobody from the recent Normandy city outbreak for study. We were able to acquire him with the promise that he would be part of the special Nobody division if he succeeded in our tests. Not sure what to make of him so far, seems weak but only time will tell. Hate to be in the military debts but running out of options and tests only useable for a short amount of time._

The next part that Roxas read made him ground his teeth in fury.

_He seems to be adapting to the Heartless essence quite well, reports say that he has acquired wings as well as the ability to use the Keyblade. Unfortunately the supply of Heartless essence is running out, we need more if we want any more reactions to happen within his body. We need the right amount or he might end up like so many before him, running out of time, need him to work._

Flashes of the numerous injections that he had been through ran through his mind as he grasped at what this new information implicated. All those injections weren't meant to stop the mutations from happening, they wanted to increase the size of the reaction his body had had to the presence of the Heartless so they had pumped him full of it. He thought back to how his blood had black crap mixed in it just like the other military Nobodies that he had encountered so far. They must do that to them as well to make them more powerful but what had then done differently to him? More information was on the page but before he could read it he heard the windowless door start to open.

By the time Vexen reentered the room the clipboard was back at the same place and Roxas sat looking defeated on the examination table in the same position he had been in before which was hunched over staring at the floor. From his limited view he deduced that Vexen had returned with a few bandages and was preparing to try and do the best he could to bandage him up.

"I swear, I have no bandages hence they should deduce I am not their doctor." Dropping the bandages and the other assorted devices that were meant for healing, he looked at the seemingly defeated Roxas. "I swear if you weren't the pinnacle of all we have worked for I would just push you out of here and feed you to the dogs, but I guess you're lucky." Roxas wanted to punch Vexen the instant he said he was lucky but all he could do was let the fire return to his eyes for moment before it had to be extinguished once more when Vexens gaze turned back on him.

Sighing pitifully, Vexen grabbed the bandages coarsely and walked over to Roxas all the while still talking to himself. "I had planned to start you on your schedule again but this little bump in the road is going to derail us for a while." Though Vexen claimed he wasn't a doctor, his wrapping and knowledge of what to do with the wounds Roxas had acquired seemed to prove that he at least had some sort of background. That or the fact people just kept coming to him to fix them up made him proficient in the undesirable area.

By the time Vexen was done, Roxas had a bandage wrapped around his stomach and the minor cuts were cleaned out but left alone in favor of healing in the open air or at least that's what Vexen said, Roxas just thought he was too lazy. There wasn't anything Vexen could do about the bruises that were already beginning to mar Roxas' scarred up body but in the end Vexen didn't particularly care.

Roxas watched him put away the dressings away and looked longingly at the clipboard that sat on the counter; there was still so much he didn't know about what they had done to him. What else had they lied about during the long three months they had had him? And what were they going to do with him now?

* * *

Axel peered up at the sky and felt the sun soak into him as it hit its peak in its dance in the sky. The sun always made him feel more alive and energized. He thought that it may be because of the fire within him but he never looked into it that much. But now the sun just seemed to mock him for it watched all these events unfold and never once had it had to get its hands dirty or experience what the people it watched go through.

"Then he just left, said something about his brother but I don't know. I was so wrapped up in my problems that I didn't think about his. Now that I think about it, he looked so scared." Hearing that made Axels' gut twist, but Hayner continued on without noticing, "Then he turned to leave but as he stepped away I noticed the feather on the ground and thought he must have dropped it so I picked it up before anyone saw." At this he pulled out the now damaged feather. "I figure it must be his lucky charm or something, why else would he carry it around?"

Axel looked at the feather and then at Hayners look of love that the kid was sending towards it. His first thought was if Hayner had feelings for Roxas more than just friendship. For some reason this made his gut twist once more in anger but he ignored it and instead focused on the thought that Hayner was obviously oblivious to the fact that Roxas had wings.

Hayner had said that he had seen the video of them in the grocery store but it had been dark and Roxas' wings were black so they may have been obscured from view. But he was puzzled why Hayner hadn't noticed them in their encounter at the Blue Moons Headquarters. In the end it didn't really matter if Hayner knew or not and Axel remained silent on the issue. Instead he let the poor kid believe he held something of importance of to Roxas though the twist in his gut didn't lessen its hold.

"After that I tried to get information on where they were going. Most of the people I talked to didn't know and just knew that they were going to get the people that had been taken back." Hayner stuffed his hands into the pockets of his camouflage baggy jeans and looked up at the street in front of them. "Finally I found someone who knew what was up and they filled me in. Then I just let it go and waited for them to get back, I mean what could I do?" Hayner looked at Axel as if for condolence for his actions but he would find none from that source.

Looking back down at the ground moving under his feet he continued "Only five people returned out of a ten member group plus the captives. Three captives, two of the original members, we were all devastated and I can guess you already know that Roxas wasn't one of them. Paranoia was high so I was sent to clean up the mess that had been left where they got Roxas. And well, you know the rest." The hand returned to the pocket, no doubt clutching the feather once more.

"So what's your plan now?" Axel asked looking straight ahead at the barren road ahead of him. He heard Hayner messing with his bandana wrapped around his head before he said anything.

"I don't know if Roxas is still alive, but I don't know for sure he is dead. From what I was able to pick up from the five people that got back, Roxas, or Ven as they called him, distracted someone long enough for them to get out. I figured since I have finally have found him I can't just let him go but I don't really have a plan." Hayner finished and looked displeased with himself. He looked away from Axel once more and instead found the ground much more interesting.

Axel looked up once more at the sky and at the sinking sun before lowering his eyebrows and replying, "Don't worry, I do."

* * *

Though Roxas had been beaten up quite a bit, it seemed like they still expected him to push through and go on with his "Performance Review" as they called it. He still didn't know what they were going to with him but evidently they wanted to know how much he had developed since he had escaped from the institute. Roxas was worried but in a way he had kind of given up on the fact of getting out.

This time, instead of Saix, a man who towered over him and had what looked like a permanent frown on his face, came to escort him from Vexens' office. He too had the same black cloak that everyone wore here. From bits and pieces of information that he had been picking up from this place, Roxas was starting to think that everyone who wore that certain outfit were part of the Nobody Ops. stationed in the city.

The man settled with walking behind him and didn't grab a hold of any part of him to march him along seemingly because of the fact that Saix had taught him a lesson or because the man had confidence in his power. Roxas noted that the man had the strongest jaw he had ever seen before. That and the fact that the man had curly brown hair gave the man quite a weird look.

"What's your name?" Roxas asked trying to make conversation with the man in order to distract himself from all the stares the scientists they passed shot them. Roxas retaliated by glaring at them with such intensity they looked away almost as soon as they met his eyes but it didn't help his gut from twisting. The man behind him remained silent and in the end didn't answer his question.

Instead the man just pushed him forward with a gruff hand to urge him to move faster down the hallway. Roxas just rolled his eyes and picked up the pace to prevent anymore of the pushing from occurring. He didn't really care but his wounds said otherwise, plus he hated when people touched his wings without his permission. As they walked he heard the scientists whispering and since knowledge is power, he listened intently in.

"Is that really THE Subject Seven?" A scientist to the side of the hallway said who had a goatee and black rimmed glasses. His face was pock marked with acne though he was clearly out of the age range that had that problem.

"Yeah it is, and they say that he has even more potential than initially thought, they say he is…." Roxas walked to far away to hear more and cursed inwardly but soon another conversation hit his ears that he tuned into next.

"He will surpass Subject Six in every area if he continues at the pace he has hit." A pale blond scientist said as he looked at a clipboard while he scribbled what looked like utter nonsense to Roxas by the way he made his huge sweeps with his pen.

"I don't know, the research that they allow us to see shows some interesting parts on his reaction to the injections, they really need to look at it." The scientist that was next to the pale blond one said as he peered into a handheld computer.

"You worry too much; they're in normal range if a bit off." The other remarked flippantly but Roxas once more was out of hearing range as he and the silent man walked away. He hoped that the man was right about the injection, he didn't want anything else to go wrong that possibly could. Though the way things had been happening to him it wouldn't surprise him if it did but before he could think on it more the man pushed him once more roughly towards a door at the side of the hall.

It was simply labeled "Gym" and Roxas felt his gut sink a bit as memories of his training with Sephiroth resurfaced. Keeping his face emotionless, he allowed himself to be shoved into the room abruptly. It was what he expected it to be, a high ceiling with a basket ball court styled floor. After taking in the view of the room his eyes stopped and focused on the group of bored looking people across the way.

He recognized three of the five, there was Marluxia holding a flower and smelling it delicately. Larxene was busy talking to Marluxia but since he seemed intent on smelling the flower and looked to be ignoring her but from a distance Roxas couldn't tell. The man called Xigbar was there as well talking to a man who had a deck of cards. As for the man himself he had a goatee and blond hair as well as an arrogant air about him the way he held himself. The last man had a hair full of dreadlocks and had a wicked look to him, like he was the kid in grade school that pulled the wings off of flies and watched them die on his desk.

Another shove from the huge man behind him moved him forward into the room so the people across from him finally took notice in his presence. Larxene sent him a wink while Marluxia just looked slyly at him which made him feel anger boil up as the memories of their fight made their way forward in his mind. Xigbar gave him a quick salute and an underhanded smile as he saw the state he was in, the man beside him regarded him coolly without sending him any signals of acknowledgement. The dreadlock man regarded him with the same look he held before he knew Roxas had entered the room.

"So this is Subject Seven, looks a bit scrawny if you ask me." The dreadlocks man said as he stepped forward off the wall to walk towards Roxas. He cocked his head to look at Roxas as if trying to see what all the fuss was about but ended up sneering thinking the entire thing was a joke. The man who had been previously talking to Xigbar and playing with a stack of cards followed suite but seemed a bit friendlier but that was like comparing a tiger to a lion.

"Xaldin you need to calm down, it's all in the luck of the cards right?" To punctuate his statement he shuffled his deck one more time before sticking them into a pocket on his cloak with a single movement. Xaldin seemed unconvinced as he lowered his thick eyebrows to squint his eyes at Roxas still trying to see if this was an April Fool's joke being play on them.

"You are to fight for fifteen minutes with him, if he survives by the end of it then the test will have been passed." Roxas turned around in time to see Xemnas enter the room with Saix at his heels. His face was still blank and aloof but the respect that Saix was aiming at him was tangible. Roxas couldn't tell if he had been reprimanded for "teaching him a lesson" but hoped he had just for some kind of vengeance.

"The scientists think they still have monopoly on you, but I am here to remind them that we had a deal that they will follow through on." Xemnas looked at all the cloak wearers and then finished by looking Roxas in the eyes before he turned to stand by the wall with Saix. "The test starts now." He said as he pushed a button on his watch that powered down Roxas' power inhibitor.

Without hesitating, Roxas ducked down just as a hoard of spears flew over where his head had been only moments before. Pushing off with his legs he back flipped out of the danger zone before the spears rerouted themselves with deadly reflexes. As he flipped through the air Roxas saw giant freaking cards come out of nowhere and come at him at full force. Not wanting to know what it would feel like to collide with them, he snapped his wings out and pushed down hard to reorient his fall to a different direction.

The cards flew by and embedded themselves in the wall behind him but Roxas didn't notice for his attention was firmly fixed on the immediate dangers in front of him. As soon as his tennis shoes hit the ground he did quick side steps to avoid Larxene who was coming at him hard, swiping her daggers inches from his body. Roxas brought forth his keyblade and managed to hit her hard enough to send her reeling back a few feet away from him.

Feeling the wind shift, Roxas twisted around in time to bring up his keyblade in defense right as a giant hammer of a weapon was brought down upon him. The force of the blow combined with the weight of the weapon was enough to make his knees quake and bend. The man that bore down on him was the giant who had escorted him here in the first place Roxas noticed as he closed his eyes and used his other senses to pinpoint where everyone else was in the room for a split second.

Reopening them, he knew what he had to do. Letting his knees bend completely he fell to the ground and pulled his weapon away. He slipped away just as the bullets that would have found his back pierced into the hulk of the man. Looking up, he saw the giant seem generally unfazed by the attack that his teammate had used unknowingly against him. Instead he just hefted his weapon up once more and cracked his neck with a swift movement.

Keeping his bearings Roxas bent his knees and jumped as his wings did the rest of the well versed movement. The ceiling was remarkably high and allowed him to get away from the attack that Marluxia had sent his way. The scythe cut only air as Roxas flew up to the rafters of the gym. His ebony wings caught the light from the fluorescent lights and made him appear as an avenging angel for a brief moment before Xigbar came out of nowhere and assaulted him with a barrage of bullets.

Roxas did a corkscrew to the right to avoid them but not all were dodge able leaving him with a few wounds that would be felt later, but for now the adrenaline masked his pain and allowed him to dive towards Xigbar with his keyblade held out. All the while he dodged daggers courtesy of Larxene and a few spears that were thanks to Xaldin. He was able to land a few choice blows that sent the man out of the sky and into the ground before a buffet of wind sent Roxas tumbling through the air until he was smacked promptly into a wall.

Jamming his keyblade into said wall, he held himself there for second as he collected his wits and stabbed at his power inhibitor on his ankle but keyblade just bounced off of it. Xemnas just watched with a cold gaze as Saix stood beside him looking like he would give anything to join the fight and rip Roxas apart with his bare hands.

A few more daggers and spears forced him from his spot earlier than he would have liked so he ripped his keyblade out while at the same time pushing off with his legs to take to the air. His wings closed in tight to his body to allow him a quick descent to the ground but he oriented himself towards the giant man before doing so.

Roxas swung his leg out and kicked him straight in the head before he figured out there was a foot coming towards his head. Roxas' other foot landed on the man's chest for a few mere seconds but that was long enough to push off and land hard on the ground a few feet away. The man rubbed his jaw and seemed put out by what had just occurred and lowered his giant eyebrows more so his eyes had practically disappeared.

Keyblade in hand, Roxas surveyed what was before him. Six well trained Nobodies, weapons at hand and cocky grins adorned some faces but none looked worried at the small kid that they had been ordered to attack. Roxas felt some of his wounds complain but he ignored them and prepared for his next move.

Doing a hand spring backwards, Roxas narrowly avoided electricity, bullets, some spears, a hammer blow, and scythe a swing that had been unleashed seconds before. But the attacks didn't let up, in fact so many attacks were coming at him every which way that he was having trouble keeping track of where he was at in the room. Knowing confusion on the battlefield is something you want to avoid, he had learned that the hard way, he knew he had to do something. Trying to clear some space around him he smashed his free hand into the ground to create an outpouring of light energy that dispersed in a circle around him to clear the people that were by him backwards.

How long had it been since the fight had started, how much longer did he have to go? Before he could complete his thoughts a pink and green scythe swung at him from his left. He jumped over it high enough to dodge it with helps from his wings pushing down. He landed a bit to the side and battled with his keyblade against the pink haired man, unleashing a combo of swings at him as fast as he could before the cavalry arrived.

Unfortunately Marluxia blocked him at every swing and had the audacity to send a smile his way. Roxas felt his new wounds start to sting from the sweat infiltrating them and struggled to keep his attention on everything that was happening. His eyes darted back and forth from the action in the world as his keyblade moved as if on its own accord. Larxene was coming to his right, the giant was watching in the background and making his way steadily without rush, Xaldin was directing his spears at him, but where was Xigbar?

"Boo!" A voice called out as Xigbar appeared directly at his side before unleashing a torrent of bullets from his rifle looking weapon. Roxas tried to dodge but was hampered by the scythe that was coming closer with each swing. The bullet spray didn't hit him dead on thanks to the small side step he was able to perform but it still scored a few hits on his side which made him let out a grimace. No rest was allowed though for Larxene finally reached them as well as the spears that Xaldin had sent. There was too many of them.

A spear went right through his shoulder sending him flying back into a wall on the far end. This had actually been a blessing in disguise for it had gotten Roxas out of the mess of people that were trying to converge on him at that moment but now he just stood at the wall with a spear sticking straight out of his shoulder. Blackness and blood poured out as he grasped at the weapon and tried to pull it out. The pain made his eyes sting as the weapon refused to budge from its spot in his shoulder. Biting his lip, Roxas looked up to see Larxene appear out of nowhere with a cocky grin on her face.

She leaned in close and whispered "I guess we won't get to use you in our plan after all." A sharp pain erupted in his gut. He didn't have to look down to find out that she had shoved one of her daggers into him after a shock of electricity coursed through his body accompanied by Larxene twisting the dagger. The Spear in his shoulder was wrenched out by as the owner came to stand by Larxene. Roxas clutched at his side as the brief spasms rang out and dissipated.

"Ten minutes, you were so close Subject Seven." Marluxia commented as he came to stand by Larxene who was examining the weapon that did the deed on Roxas' stomach. Roxas felt his legs quake from fear or the pain he didn't know at this point, what he did know was that he was in a bad sort as the Nobodies came to crowd around him to finish him off.

Roxas felt the world swirl a bit from the amount of blood he was losing despite his best efforts to staunch the wound on his stomach with his hand. If he passed out they would kill him, he knew that and slowly felt the darkness that is passing out creepy up on him. Maybe it would be better to let go, he had found his family and they were safe. Breathing hard he slumped down further on the wall as more Nobodies came to crowd around his bleeding form. Roxas was tired, so tired.

As darkness blurred his vision he expected to see his mom and dad welcoming to whatever afterlife that would take him but instead he saw a vibrant red run before his eyes as he heard a voice say with a cocky flair, "C'mon Roxas, you can't give up that easily, I thought you stronger than that." Roxas snapped his eyes open in an instant just in time to see Xaldin step forward towards his crumpled form and raise a single spear directly over his heart. Seeing Roxas looking up at him, he let out a sneer savoring the moment before plunging his weapon downward towards the beating heart of the vulnerable Nobody before him.

Roxas felt his breath hitch as he thrust his free hand out to grasp the spear stopping it mere inches from his heart. Xaldin let out a groan and pushed weapon down more frustrated by the halt in his action. Roxas ground his teeth together as he struggled to prevent his death from occurring by the hands of this man. Lifting his other hand that was staunching his gut wound he brought it behind him and started to haul himself up off the ground. His hand left handprints where he touched the wall making a pitiful sight as he gripped the spear.

"Get on with it Xaldin." The giant man said, this was the first time he had spoken the entire time. Xaldin nodded and gripped the spear with both of his hands instead of one. Roxas felt like a trapped animal as Xaldin started pushing down once more with renewed strength while he was using the last dregs of his own.

The spear moved inch by inch as Roxas' quivering hand did its best to slow its progress. It got closer and closer until it was a mere centimeter from Roxas bare chest that was currently heaving up and down from exertion.

A smile touched Xaldins' lip as he said nothing while he brought himself up dramatically to finish Roxas off with the glint of something unfathomable reaching his eye as the spear came closer.

* * *

Yep, thats all folks, I only have three pages of the next chapter written so I don't know when the next one will come.

But remember the more review I get equals me writing faster.

So I hope you enjoyed it.


	23. Chapter 23

I'll let you guys know right off the bat that I have a week of finals coming up so I might not be able to get chapters out as frequently but after these two weeks are up I'll be free as a bird, so long college see you again in a few months.

So anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and forgive any mistakes you see. I think I got them all you never know.

I own nothing related to kingdom hearts or final fantasy or anything else you can think of.

* * *

"So that's the building?" Axel asked as he lay on his chest and peered over at the least suspicious building he had ever seen. It was too dark to tell but Axel was pretty sure he felt Hayner roll his eyes at him as he sat to Axels right. The windows of the building were blacked out and it had pieces of concrete missing from the roof as well. It matched the buildings around it to such a degree that it almost made your eyes dance right off of it and not give it a second thought.

Night had fallen on the city and it was only due to Hayners' ability to conceal himself and others that they hadn't been sensed by the Heartless or seen by whatever may be guarding the building. At the moment Axel's roving eyes couldn't detect any outside security measures such as cameras or defenses but those could easily be hidden with the right techniques so he wasn't banking on anything.

He had worked out the plan in his head covering all the various aspects that might and most likely go wrong. Which he had to admit were a lot even for by his definition of average. But if all went right then they would find Roxas and get out and that was worth all the risks imposed on them. He could feel Hayner nervousness at the situation as the teenager beside him fiddled around with the handkerchief that was wrapped around his head. The smell of sweat was also tangible even though it was a brisk night that was also a telltale sign that the youth was a jumpy. Axel couldn't really blame him either but was still annoyed all the same.

"Yeah that's the building, at least that's what I heard the people saying. I overheard them talking so I could have misheard but..." Hayner stopped short and stood up. "This is where my heart is telling me Roxas is." He was abruptly pulled down by Axel who gave him a "what the hell look". Hayner just looked nonchalantly at him before sitting back down on the roof to look at the silent building. Hayners attitude was probably caused by the tense situation and that was his way of dealing with it so Axel let it slide. His whole life had been risky situation after risky situation so this was nothing new to him.

Axels skin crawled as he looked at the building, something wasn't right and the sooner they got his plan on the way the better Roxas' chances of survival were, if he was even still alive. Axel frowned and narrowed his eyes as that last thought that had crossed his mind as it had so many other times today. He wished he had the unyielding optimism that this oblivious youth beside him held.

Breathing in deep Axel stood up and soon as he was standing the wind caught the back of his trench coat and sent it whipping out behind him. He knew one thing and one thing only; he wasn't going to let anything happen to Roxas, not while there was something he could do about it. The stupid kid had wormed his way into his heart with his stubbornness and no shit attitude and he wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Hayner looked up at the daring figure Axel cut into the night sky and felt a stab of jealousy. He squeezed the feather for comfort but little was to be found from it in this cold dark night. The moon was partially hidden by the clouds that covered the sky leaving little light to be held. He was pulled from his thoughts when Axel started talking once more.

"You know the plan; after I start it you need to hide both of us as the chaos erupts ok?" Hayner gulped down the apprehensive he felt. Though he had talked big, he didn't know if he had the courage to do this, but he knew he had to. Axel spared no words to comfort him and instead gazed down at the soon to be battle field with a scrutinizing look as his hair was blown gently by the breeze. Axel always felt the calm before a fight but this was different, he felt anxious as his heart lurched for his friend inside.

"Right! You go get yourself hidden until the time we discussed earlier. I'm going to go bring hell to whoever is in that building and then some, got it memorized?" Axel gave a cocky salute to the vulnerable teen before descending down the fire escape on the right side of the building. Hayner sat forward on the roof and stilled his trembling hands as he remembered why they were doing this. His hand squeezed the feather once more before pulling his hand out his pocket. Feeling the wind start to pick up once more he prepared himself for what was about to happen.

The fire escape creaked and moved precariously as Axel slid and traveled down it with what seemed like years of practice. His black boots hit the ground of the alleyway with a soft thump thanks to his muscles absorbing most of the blow of the fall. His green eyes were wide as he scanned his surroundings in a big sweep before running out of the alley and into the open roads that surround the portentous building that now loomed over him concealing him in much needed shadows.

Following along the side of a building that used to be some kind of liquor store, he steeled himself for the pandemonium that he was about to unleash on the ignorant people inside the building. He wasn't afraid to kill, he had done so much of that now that he didn't think he could ever rid himself of the blood that stained his hands, instead he was afraid that something would go wrong and something would happen to Roxas. But right now he couldn't think about that, instead he had to focus.

Axel braced his muscles for a moment as he reminded himself that this was the only plan that would work and if they waited for reinforcements there might not be a Roxas to save. Yes, they had to do this tonight. He gave his muscles a good stretch, rolling out his neck and arms, before pushing his shoulders back and strolling into the dim moonlight.

All was silent except for Axels' footfalls which echoed down the roads that veered by the building. His coat flapped out behind him as a small breeze made its way down the road and rifled through his hair in anticipation of what was about to go down. Axels' mouth quirked upward in the corner as his eyebrows dropped low as he stopped in the center of the street before the building that mocked him with its unwavering gaze.

"It starts now." Axel said quietly as small flames erupted from both his hands and fell down to the ground in a stream. With the smile still on his face he finally allowed all the rage that he had been feeling the moment he saw Roxas get pulled up the stairs till now to be unleashed in one glorious moment. A flaming tornado of death erupted from the ground where Axel stood and reached up to the sky in an instant. It reached so high it touched the clouds sending them a twirl as the tornado whipped its body about. No smoke could be seen, only fire as the whirling flames expanded enough to cover the width of the road. The orange and reds streamed with a burning passion as the fire expanded its circle of anger.

But Axels goal wasn't to set the building on fire, no that would have been too easy and might had endangered Roxas to much for Axel to allow. No, Axel wanted every heartless in the area to know where some nice tasty humans were. There had been no way that Axel and Hayner could have stormed the place alone, but with the heartless threatening the people inside no one would notice two people sneaking inside.

The tornado whipped its body around violently before it started to dissipate but the deed had already been done, the chorus of the heartless rang out from every corner of the district. Their yellow eyes saw the brightness and their instincts told them one thing, dinner time. Without hesitating they took off in a run, down alleyways, roads, and the roofs as they made their way to the shining buffet sign.

The flames spread out for a split second before contracting a viciously back to the source of its power. The top of the whirling flames of death pulled back down from the sky until it was just a ring of fire around Axel who stood stock still as the fire caressed him with its warm touch. Completely unscathed, he walked forward out of the ring knowing it had been a success by the sounds of the damned coming out around him. Once his body stepped out of the ring he promptly vanished with help from Hayner as the yellow eyes started to pop up from every corner.

The building remained dark and empty but signs of activity started to sprout up the instant the tornado of fire had appeared. Snipers coated in black slinked out onto the roof and took posts along the edge, sniper rifles at the ready. Their faces were hidden by night vision goggles that shined green light from where their eyes supposedly were.

Axel and Hayner paid no attention to the building preparation against the onslaught that was on the horizon and instead focused on finding the door that would lead them inside. Hayner directed Axel by holding on to the sleeve of his cloak tugging him along since they couldn't see one another. They made their away to the back of the building just as more yellow eyes started to appear which put them into a faster gear, though the Heartless wouldn't be able to detect their presence that wouldn't stop them from barreling into them. Luckily the door was found and they made haste going into it and shutting it behind them.

"We're coming Roxas, just hold on." Axel said quietly as he pulled up the concrete slab and slid into the hallway with Hayner by his side, "Just hold on."

* * *

Roxas winced as the spears sharp blade nicked into the center of his chest. Xaldin seemed to be toying with him a bit now as his strength was beginning to falter. His hand was also slick with blood which made keeping a grip on the spear and arduous experience. A wide smile was on Xaldins face as he pushed down a bit more.

A giant roar of a noise rang out but Roxas couldn't tell in his state if he was imagining it or if it was real. The spear halted its progression for a moment as Xaldin and the other Nobodies took notice of the change in atmosphere. Xaldin looked down at Roxas and seemed to be debating on what to do when another sound was heard. This time instead of being a roar of a noise, it was quiet but by the sound of it was growing in strength with each passing second. It was the cry of hundreds, no thousands of Heartless thirsting for blood.

The Nobodies that surrounded him all turned to face Xemnas who still had the calm almost indifferent look on his face despite the growing threats around them. Roxas took the opportunity shift tot eh side under the spear and scoot to the side. Xaldin was so wrapped up at the prospect of fighting the heartless he didn't notice and that was fine with Roxas.

"It seems from the noise that the Heartless have decided to pay us a visit." The noise was louder now and he could definitely hear the first heartless reach the building and start to claw their way in. Accompanied by this noise was the sound of gunshots. He also noticed that all the Nobodies looked excited at the prospect of the Heartless that would get to fight by the way the nudged each other in excitement and the fidgeting they did. They looked like a pack of school girls by the way they were acting.

"Get to your stations." Xaldin gave a small yes and promptly dismissed his spear without finishing Roxas off. All started to leave, and the happiness was punctuated by the loud high-five done by Marluxia and Larxene, but Xemnas put a hand on Saix shoulder as he was leaving. "No, stay here and guard the subject, it would be a shame for him to die by a Heartless of all things." Saix made a move to argue but was silenced when a hard glint showed in Xemnas' eyes. Saix stepped back and bowed his head in submission. "And no killing him either." And with that Xemnas started to walk away.

"I will Xemnas." Saix said simply before watching his leader walk away. Roxas on the other hand was starting to feel oddly cold and distant. His ears were ringing and his head was starting to swim which couldn't be good. This was bad, he knew enough at the moment to know if he didn't get the bleeding under control he was going to be a in a bad spot. Thinking as fast as he could in his condition, with his left hand, he ripped off the bandages that covered the slices that had been bestowed upon him by Saix earlier and did his best to dress the stab wound on his gut the best he could. It seemed to be working; the blood pouring out was slowing its progress and was coming to a steady halt. He would have felt relief if Saix wasn't leering over him with a look he recognized from their special bonding time.

"You're lucky I was ordered not to kill you otherwise I would have finished you off myself." Roxas thought Saix was being really redundant, even Sora could've figured that out in a heartbeat without an explanation. The building rumbled again before finishing off with a screech from a particularly loud Heartless that hit the same frequency of the walls causing them to shake for a moment. Saix looked towards where the noise came from and the blackness started to converge in his eyes, Roxas didn't like where this was going one bit.

Without a second thought, Saix walked over to Roxas until he was almost on top of him. From this angle Saix looked more menacing than ever to Roxas which made him push away a bit but Saix paid no mind. Not being careful, Saix reached down and hauled the bleeding Roxas up and shifted him so he was hanging from over his shoulder. Roxas winced as is wounds dug into the shoulder but then it started to feel good with the pressure on them so he relaxed. Saix started to walk out of the room with Roxas swinging on his shoulder with a hand casually on his butt to keep the boy from falling off.

Roxas felt indignation rise up but it was soon quelled by the knowledge he couldn't do anything about the situation in his condition. All he could do was hope that he didn't bleed out as he watched the tiles pass under him with his hands dangling down. It seemed to him that if Saix had to protect him then he was going to do that where he could fight some heartless as well. But he didn't care, of everything he wanted to do at the moment, sleep was the top one but the danger he felt humming through his brain wouldn't allow him. He felt unconsciousness drift on him but he fought back against it, but even then he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

* * *

"Hurry up Hayner" Axel whispered quietly as they walked down the halls of the building. Axel had known that there was a military operation going on here but he was still surprised how pristine and clean it was inside compared to the crappy exterior. The hallways were cleaned to perfection and had that smell of antiseptic to the air. But right now the way people were acting was the direct opposite of the hallways appearance.

People who looked like scientists were running this way and that with bundles of folders in their arms in near panic. Axel and Hayner watched all this occur from the safety of the side and were unseen thanks to Hayner. A cold calculating voice broke out over the clamor stilling the scientists for a brief second before they continued scrambling.

"People, people you all need to calm down. We have had practice for such an occurrence but you are all acting as if that has never occurred." A man with blond hair and two long bangs framing his face was walking down the hallway with an annoyed look on his face. He wore a black cloak that covered his frame and seemed out of place in the white corridors but he had the air of authority and cold calculation about him. Another person ran down the halls with a similar outfit but they had their hood up obscuring their face.

"Vexen, Xemnas has ordered all of to get to the front lines to defend the building from the heartless." The person, now labeled a man by their deep voice, said. He seemed to be breathing rather hard and it was apparent they wanted to get going as soon as possible.

"I thought as much, how did Subject Seven do in the test with you people?" Vexen asked clearly not caring that the man was itching to go fight heartless but instead in Subject Seven. Axel widened his eyes upon hearing this; he had heard "Subject Seven" somewhere before but where. It was on the edge of his brain but it kept eluding his grasp which frustrated him to no end as he eavesdropped more on the two men.

"It didn't go well for him, Saix is taking care of him until we can resume testing him, now let's go before all the good heartless get killed." Without seeing if the older man was coming the cloaked man took off in a sprint down the hallway to where the heartless were trying to get into the building. The man, apparently called Vexen, just stood calmly as more scientists panicked around him before summoning a blue shield like object and walking slowly after the other man tutting about something or other.

Then it came to Axel in a flash.

_"I did see him Larxene. I do believe that is the infamous Subject 7 we've been hearing about. Doesn't the military want him back or something? Those meetings they make us attend are dreadfully boring." Marluxia commented._

With a start, Axel connected one and two together; to these people Roxas was simply known as Subject Seven. Roxas was here and he was still alive, Axel had to ct fast before something went wrong and Roxas was taken from him again. Grabbing Hayner, he pulled him into a side room that was deserted where he shook Hayners grip off. Becoming visible he ignored the questioning look Hayner was undoubtedly shooting him. Axel knew that without a clue to go on that they would just go on searching this maze of a building and might not even find Roxas so he went to work concocting his next plan.

Hayner became visible and asked "What the hell are you doing, we have to go find Roxas!" Axel continued to disregard Hayner and went about zipping up his long black coat and pulling his hood up so it obscured his features. With the hood up he faced Hayner and saw he still looked confused at what he was doing.

"Hayner I need you to follow behind me and stay hidden." Hayner looked unconvinced so Axel continued, "Don't worry my plans always work." Without staying to explain more, Axel walked out of the door not bothering to see if Hayner was following but knew he was when the door took a second longer to close than it should have. Seeing the scientists still panicking and not taking in his presence he strode over to one who was having difficulty carrying a heavy box. The man himself was a scrawny specimen and was a full head shorter than Axel, his hair was a mop of grease that was tinged black but could have easily been brown in the right light. Axel stopped right behind of him before tapping him gently on the shoulder.

The scientists let out a squeal and dropped the box which landed softly showing that it probably wasn't that heavy at all. He turned around with an angry look but that dropped off his face the moment he took in who was in front of him. Instantly his hands came together and he became quite twitchy while at the same time avoiding eye contact with Axel. He undoubtedly believed in the disguise by the way he was acting.

"Uh, sorry I didn't see you there; I'll just be on my way." The scientists turned around in a clumsy matter and attempted to pick up his box and be on his way but a firm hand stopped him from this motion. The scientist turned around slowly with a grimace on his face. Axel didn't alleviate his fears and instead preyed on the fact that the man was afraid of him, it would work to his advantage.

"Where is Subject Seven?" Axel said evenly. His eyes were hidden from view which caused even more anxiety in the terrified man in front of him. The rumbling of the building and the cries of the heartless did little to help the scientist in this department. The hesitation that occurred in the scientist made Axel narrow his eyes and grasped the man's shoulder a little tighter to hurry him along.

Wincing at the pressure, the scientist answered in a high pitched voice, "I last saw him in Section B with Saix, I think they were on the way to fight the Heartless but from Subjects Sevens condition I doubt that would be a good idea." Axel leaned in closer prompting the man to speak further, "Look, that's all I know. Just head north; you should bump into them in less than five minutes." Axel released the hold he had on the man's shoulder and stepped back while the man let out a sigh of relief and with haste packed up his crap and got lost in the crowd of scientists that were still milling around.

Axel pulled his hood down more before walking forwards down the hall as the frightened Scientists started to disperse.

* * *

Roxas sat against a plain white wall as he drifted in and out of unconsciousness. He was pretty sure he was in one of the other training rooms according to the size and the general layout of his surroundings but in his state he couldn't be sure of anything. There was a lot of noise coming from one end where he thought Saix was at but then again it could have been plethora dancing monkeys and he wouldn't know the difference.

He let his head loll to the side and he thought he saw a herd of Heartless pouring in from a hole in the ceiling but he didn't really care for some reason. Their yellow eyes bobbed up and down as they fell on top of each other as they jumped into the room and let out earsplitting screeches. A score of scratch marks littered the wall and floor but they blurred together and made Roxas feel like throwing up so he avoided looking at them.

His eyes vaguely took in a whirling figure at the far edge of the horde but that to, made him nausea so he forced his head away. Random bits of information were being filtered through his brain as the blackness washed over him in random intervals. The thoughts ranged from memories of him and Cloud pulling Sora out of bed in the morning to Axel and him eating ice cream while watching the sunrise on top of the hotel. They were pleasant memories that made him smile.

The blackness let up for a second letting Roxas see that Saix had become a slathering beast that was tearing the heartless apart with his bare hands. Blackness flew through the air in a haze as the ripped apart heartless started to dissolve into nothingness. Saix himself was partially covered in the gunk but he didn't seem to mind with the rage upon him. Roxas wished Saix would fall down and the heartless would tear him apart but he doubted that would happen.

Unconsciousness swept back upon him as he grasped at the gaping wound on his side. It had stopped bleeding but the black matter still oozed out. Roxas felt as if he was falling through a night sky that held no stars or moon and just held nothingness. For a moment he saw his mom and dad's face but they were gone an instant later and only the starless night surrounded him. He peered out into the sky trying to find a lone star to wish upon but he felt the nagging feeling that he was forgetting something.

Forcing his eyes back open Roxas saw the world swirl a bit while his brain started to connect two and two together. Saix was fighting to his right and to his left was a door that was currently unguarded. If he could only reach it then maybe if luck was shining down on him he could make it through the pandemonium and get out. A small pathetic laugh echoed from his mouth as he leaned back against the wall and looked up.

"Since when has luck ever been on your side Roxas?" He thought to himself. "But when have you ever given up?" This was also true unfortunately, even when his cards were down he often found himself trying to swim up a waterfall. And that's how he found himself staggering into a standing position and walking towards the wide double doors on the far side of the hallway. The whirling demon that was Saix at the moment was oblivious to Roxas' escape attempt as well as the rest of the world. His sole focus at the moment was tearing apart the beasts that were rushing at him.

Roxas started his lopsided stagger to the door feeling the unconsciousness threatening to overpower him.

* * *

Axel tore through the halls not caring about the strange looks that were shot his way. The pristine hallways were emptying out though so not many people saw him but the ones that did didn't question who he was and went their way. His disguise as a military Nobody was working and no one was shooting him a second glance after the first strange one. As long as his hood stayed up and his face stayed hidden all should be ok.

Footsteps rang out loudly behind him signaling that Hayner was keeping up with him as he ran down the hallway. Axel didn't know his time limit on getting there so he kept up the sprint thankful for all those times he was forced to go up and down the stairs at the Headquarters.

The Scientist had said it would only take him five minutes to reach his destination so he was expecting to see a sign or a landmark of some sort that would signal his arrival. He just hoped that Roxas was still there and ok when he arrived.

* * *

His progress at getting out was painfully slow. Although Roxas' legs were largely undamaged the constant battle of not passing out demanded his full attention. At his side his right arm hung uselessly from the shoulder injury that made moving his arm almost impossible and his left hand was clasped on his gut wound. He focused on his legs and willed them to keep going as the door seemed to get farther and farther away. He knew he had to hurry because at any moment Saix could turn around and see him.

Or worse, he could turn around and think Roxas was a heartless or merely something to kill. The blackness started to invade his vision against his protests but he had to keep going, this might be the only opportunity he had.

* * *

"How far away is this thing?!" Axel said under his breath in frustration, it had only been three minutes but his patience's was wearing thin, his rage was threatening to boil over and that would be disastrous at the moment. He didn't want to accidently blow up the hallway right now so he concentrated on breathing and searching for a sign that read Section B.

The hallway seemed to grow longer with each step he took.

* * *

Saix was in his frenzy mode and his vision was coated in red, everything was an enemy. Everything was fair game. Everything was meant to be killed.

This was his life's greatest pleasure; this was why he was born. In the back of his mind he registered that the heartless were starting to slow down and after every second there was one less heartless than there was before. Soon there wouldn't be anymore and that scared him. He needed to keep feeling the joy that was coursing through his veins and without something to kill that would go away. And when he was no longer killing it would be like he didn't exist.

He looked around in a slight panic for something to throttle when he saw it. A limping figure was walking away from him which spiked his interest to colossal levels. The weak were meant to be killed by the strong. Saix was strong so it was his duty to kill this pathetic piece of life before him. After Killing off the last remaining heartless that dared to attack him, he slowly turned around and licked his sharp nails of the blackness that covered them before beginning the hunt that made his blood sing.

* * *

"No!" Roxas hissed out as he felt the blackness start completely cover his eyesight. He fell to the ground and tried to crawl but his vision was so mottled he couldn't tell if he was going towards the exit or back towards Saix. A low growl was heard which made the hairs on the back of his neck rise straight up and his stomach to do a flip. Blinking several times he pushed off the ground with his good arm and looked behind him to see Saix stalking him.

His teeth were bared and blackness dripped out of his open maw. He was hunched over and was circling him like a shark while making growling and guttural noises. His eyes were pitch black without any light in their soulless depths. Roxas forgot to breathe as Saix started to creep towards him; he had to do something, but what?!

Roxas looked back towards the now impossible to reach door and shivered as a shadow fell over him. He looked down at the ground as unconsciousness swept over him once more. His last thoughts consisted of blue ice-cream accompanied by flaming red and the thought "At least it won't hurt."

* * *

Axel ran into the hallway and saw a sign on the left that was labeled "Section B". Feeling relief wash over him, Axel ran at top speed thankful that this hallway was deserted. He skidded to a stop and felt Hayner run into him for a moment before he took a step back. Taking the last few steps forward he busted into the room to take in the scene that was playing before his eyes.

A man with blue hair was standing over a bloody figure that was lying on the floor. The blue haired man was breathing hard and it was evident he was savoring the moment right before the kill as his hands started to reach out towards the prone person. Axel's eyes widened as he realized who the broken figure was.

An instant later his self control broke.

* * *

I know that was really broken up in the end but I was trying to build up anticipation so let me know if it worked or if it was just plain annoying.

Fun fact: It was all due to a very boring job at an insurance company over the summer that this fanfiction came to be, and as luck is I got the same job again so hopefully it perks up more imagination then before.

Please review guys, you have no idea how much it makes me smile when i see a review alert in my inbox. Plus your feedback is greatly appreciated.


	24. Chapter 24

Ugh how I hate thee finals. I only have one done and four more to go so lucky me. Hopefully you guys like this chapter, it took me forever to get it done and even after rewriting it a couple of times it just doesnt feel right but oh well this is the best its going to get.

So enjoy, and i own nothing disney, kingdom hearts, final fantasy ect

* * *

The temperature in the room rose as the air churned in a mix of anger and rage. Saix sensed the shift in the atmosphere the second it occurred and sniffed the air tentatively trying to detect what made it happen. He looked up to see a seething man staring straight at him with fire in his eyes and clenched fists that shook slightly. His mouth quirk up into a large feral smile as he leaned slowly back down in defiance of the man's glare to finish off this bleeding pup once and for all. The weak were meant to be killed by the strong, and he was strong.

He got as far as an inch away from ripping into the pathetic boy's throat when a shoulder rammed into him at full force that knocked his breath form his lungs briefly. The blow alone knocked him about five feet backwards but the man who had slammed into him didn't let up. Saix had to jump backwards and duck towards the ground to avoid two flaming wheels from making contact with his body but he was unafraid, he was strong and this man with the fiery hair was not. Saix would defeat this adversary and then move onto his previous victim to finish him off as well and it would be wonderful. The kind of wonderful Saix did not get to enjoy often due to his short leash.

Raking his sharp claws along the ground to build up the tension, he swept them up before the man could recover from his previous swings and clawed the man in the face just below the eyes. The red haired man didn't flinch from the injury and instead took the opportunity to swing his blazing weapons down upon Saix exposed back with jarring results. A howl of pain exploded from Saix mouth as the sharp arrows of the weapon dug into his muscle and burns were formed from the fire that coated them. Blood and darkness bubbled up but were cauterized shut from the searing heat.

Saix pulled away from the weapon and barely noticed as it was ripped out of his skin. He then skittered away while avoiding the second weapon that came his way spinning through the air like a mad Frisbee. Saix was in disbelief at what had just occurred but the primal side that had taken over didn't focus on this for too long and instead, he looked to the sky and let a howl loose before jumping back to dodge yet another swing of the damned weapons. The man looked to be in a rage that rivaled his own but Saix was passed being able to understand that and instead the only thing that was ringing through his brain was, "Kill the weak, kill and survive."

Another wheel of fire narrowly missed him as he flitted to the side and leapt towards his target. The man brought forth both his weapons in a blink of an eye and loosed them once more before running forward to meet Saix while wrath burned in the undercurrents of his sea green eyes.

Saix was able to evade the first one but the other clipped him in the side slightly but he didn't take notice for he had hit his stride. The two men clashed together, one fighting with weapons the other fighting with brute force. Saix began to grow frustrated at how the man was able to dart under and over each swing he took while at the same time dishing out damage like there was no tomorrow. This man meant business, but so did Saix, the only difference between them was why they were fighting.

His boot collided with one of the wheels and in result the bottom treads of his shoe began to smolder but he continued to push down until the weapon was forced from the man's grip. It rolled on the floor before coming to a stop and disappearing but its loss was felt by the wielder as Saix shot his hand out and grabbed the exposed throat, his favorite place to target.

Forcing the man down, he failed to see the glint in the red heads eyes signaling that he had something up his sleeve. Clueless to this thread, Saix continued through with the motion of twisting the man down to the floor. The pryo hit the ground roughly while Saix leaned down quickly to tear into the back of his neck. At first nothing happened so Saix leaned down further enjoying the tantalizing motion but soon found something else pressing to worry about. Flames shot up from the ground before Saix could back out and engulfed both him and the man as they became a living bonfire.

A burning form scrambled outward and away from the pyre and with a quick sweep of an arm dismissed the fire that had cloaked him to reveal a feral blue haired man that was breathing rather hard. The fire had burned away the ends of his cloak and left patches of his skin red. A fever was in his eyes that grew with every passing second as he stared back at the column of flames that slowly dwindled away to reveal the red headed man glowering at him with a smirk on his face.

Mad with fury, Saix ran forward and shot his arm out to slam his elbow into the man's head but was stopped by a hand that wrapped around his wrist. Before he could let out a snarl his arm was twisted around to his back and a foot was planted on his spine forcing him down to the ground in one swift movement. The heel of the shoe dug uncomfortably into his spine which elicited a low growl from Saix who was done playing games. He wanted to have fun toying with this new specimen but he figured that this wasn't going to happen anytime soon and this made him mad. He was the strong one not this amateur, he would survive and he would kill.

A guttural roar ripped its way through his mouth as his hair became more frazzled and his eyes became more cold and primitive than ever before. His mind emptied of thought and became a red haze that knew only killing.

* * *

Hayner was in shock at what was going on and could only stare as his body refused to move. Axel had run into the room at full speed leaving him in the dust for a few minutes trying to catch up and when he did make it into the room he was confronted with the scene of Axel and some strange blue haired man having a no holds skirmish in the middle of a devastated room. Hayner was taken aback by the sheer brutality they were showing, Axel was clearly pissed by the way the air roiled around him showing the heat he was producing and a moment later he understood why.

There in the middle of the battle ground lay what looked a like a dead angel by the first looks he got at it. The figure was sprawled across the floor and looked to be reaching out towards the exit in its last few moments. It also had two enormous wings that sprouted from under its shoulder blades and were currently draped over the rest of the body hiding it from view. It was only upon seeing the blond, though terribly matted and blood stained, hair that sprang up from the persons head did his brain short circuit and connect that the figure was Roxas.

His eyes jumped back up to the Axel and the blue haired man to see that while Axel was doing his best to keep the battle away from where Roxas was at, Saix had no such qualms and with each strike they seemed to be getting closer to him. Bouncing up and down on each foot, Hayner looked around the room frantically tried to figure out what to do, the thought of running out into the room and possibly into the danger zone made his hands sweat but he clenched them tightly to halt their quivering. A wave of heat that blasted into him from a particularly nice move on Axel's part threatened to break his nerve but looking back up he held to his determination.

Staying hidden, Hayner crept out into the center of the room trying to avoid getting hit from the backlash of the conflict. The heat got worse as he got closer to the Axel who at the moment was throwing his chakrams at the blue haired man that was rushing towards him but Hayner kept going until he reached the fallen figure of his friend. Hayner grasped Roxas around the armpits and started to haul him off to the side the room careful to avoid the wings that were currently freaking him out. Luckily neither Axel nor Saix noticed Roxas being dragged away by seemingly nothing. Roxas didn't stir either and seemed almost corpselike from the pallor of his skin.

Hayner reached the side just in time as Axel lit himself and the guy on fire in a defensive move. The heat from the blast made him wince and shield his eyes from the sheer intensity of the blast. He set Roxas against the wall and became visible once more.

He stooped down and ignored the wings for the moment in favor of making sure Roxas was still alive. With frantic movements he managed to get his ear against his friend's bare chest to check for a heartbeat. A fast thumping met his ears causing him to recoil back in relief but that was diminished when he saw the blood trail that had been made when he dragged Roxas across the floor. A look of horror crossed his face as he saw the matted clot of bandages over a grim wound.

He desperately ripped off his bandana and smashed it against the wound to stop the bleeding that had almost halted but he wasn't going to take any chances. With his other hand he ripped of a chunk of his coat and wrapped it around the bleeding shoulder that was digging into his chest as Roxas slumped more to the ground. Hayner felt panic start to rise up again but did his best to quall it

* * *

Axel pushed down harder with his foot against convulsing man. He readied a Chakram in his free hand and breathed hard steadying himself. Saix kept his snarls up and seized more than ever before going still. In other circumstances if Axel hadn't lost control he would have seen the signs but at the moment he was too angry to notice anything but getting revenge. With a yell he drove his weapons down hard through the air but it was too late.

Saix bucked hard like a bronco and squirmed out from underneath the off balanced Axel. He whirled around with incredible speed and slashed his hand across Axel's chest. His finger tips got burned as the touched with Axels skin for the briefest of moments but it was worth it when he saw blood rise up. Axel winced but kicked Saix in the nose when he got close sending him skidding across the floor backwards.

The man was in berserk mode now and his eyes held no sanity at all. With another convulse of his body he brought a hand up and power formed around it. Axel let out a curse as fire spread out on the floor around him; he whipped a Chakram out and whipped it out trying to stop Saix.

Saix just knocked it out of the arm and continued to form the energy until a gigantic claymore twisted into shape in his outstretched hand. With a quick movement it crashed into the ground with Saix still holding it while breathing heavily. His head cocked to the side as if questioning what Axel would do now.

Axel narrowed his eyes and drew his eyebrows low as the hatred for this man intensified. He looked out of the corner of his eye to see Hayner kneeling over Roxas who had gone white as a sheet from the blood loss. The trail of blood he saw that Roxas created made his blood boil and his hands to bring forth fire involuntarily. The flames that still danced around him spiked up from his emotions and swirled around him as his anger intensified.

Without moving and inch the blaze shot forward at Saix who hid behind his Claymore as the fire smashed into it with enough force to move him a few inches as he hunkered down. More fire sprang up as Saix leapt forward for the kill nearly hitting him each time he touched down upon the ground. Axel was sick of playing games and wanted to end this now before things got out of control.

As the raging man dashed forward towards him Axel smashed both his weapons into the ground so they stuck up. The whole battle had up to this point been just the preliminary to the attack that would finish this once and for all. Axel had let his rage get the best of him after seeing the broken body that Roxas had been reduced to and had only been toying with the man in front of him so far but seeing how much power he had gained made him get clearer head on what was happening.

Time slowed down as Saix ran at Axel with his claymore trailing behind him and his black eyes trained on Axel. If Saix had been in a saner state of mind he would have known something was wrong by the way Axel was staring down at him but sadly that was of the many drawbacks of his berserk state.

It was a game of chicken that Axel and Saix were playing but who would be the victor was yet to be decided as Saix brought himself in front of Axel and raised his Claymore high into the air in order to slam it down on Axels head.

Axel snickered before stepping to the side, picking up the discarded Chakram and slamming into Saix gut as the claymore missed him by mere inches.

Saix came to a halt as the sluggish pain reached his brain as the Chakram remained embedded in his stomach. Axel jumped backwards far away from the shocked man and snickered a bit as the darker side of him reveled in this mans pain. Raising his hand for the final time he snapped and used the Chakram as a medium for his fire. Instantly Saix became a burning pyre as his body writhed in agony in the column of fire. The dark glint in Axels eyes returned as the heat radiated out on him but was quickly gone when his eyes caught sight of Roxas crumpled on the ground near the wall with Hayner who looked at him with a mix of anger and fear.

Letting the fire die down he walked over to the surprisingly not charred body and knelt down to look at what might have happened. Keeping one hand gripped on his weapon he surveyed that Saix was out for the count by the looks of things. In his berserk state he must be more invulnerable than Axel had anticipated. He picked up one of the man's limps wrists and saw he had the same kind of wrist watch that Marluxia and Larxene had had during that fight. It must be made of pretty tough stuff for it was only slightly melted and burnt.

Tilting his head in curiosity he slipped it off and slipped it on his wrist for safe measure. Standing up he looked at the barely breathing man and felt loathing fill his eyes as he readied himself to finish this scum of a man off.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A cold and mellow voice called out as the sounds of clicking shoes entered the room. "I thought that Saix would be competent enough to defend himself as well as Subject Seven but I guess I overestimated his strength, it's a pity." Axel could tell just by the voice that this man was in a whole other ballpark than Saix or himself. His silver hair glinted in the fluorescent lights and his tan skin stood out starkly in contrast. The fire around Axel's feet dimmed considerably as the man's power went into effect and Axel knew that if he tried he wouldn't be able to summon his weapons.

"Gotta think, gotta think of a plan!" Axel thought fervently as he watched the calm man walk into the room despite the sounds of the heartless battle still taking place. He saw Hayner out of the corner of his eyes stand up over Roxas with fear in his eyes, even someone as simple minded as him understood the power that this man held. Then it hit him, a plan crazy enough it might actually work. He spun around hard not looking to see what the man was doing and ran towards Roxas and Hayner. Grabbing Roxas around the waist he wasted no time hitting buttons on the watch in a frenzy. Instantly ethereal blackness seeped out and formed a gaping black hole in the middle of the air.

Shoving Hayner in he saw Xemnas reaching out a hand to stop them but it was too late, Axel stepped into the portal with Roxas in his arms and disappeared with the portal closing instantly behind him. The room grew still as the last wisps of darkness from the portal blew away until nothing remained to show what had happened.

The sounds of the heartless continued on as Xemnas stared at the spot where they had disappeared, his eyes betrayed nothing and seemed that nothing had happened at all to bother him. The only signs were of a slight tenseness that was in the air. Xemnas turned around to face Saix who was still on the ground smoldering a bit as he stood there in thought as the cries of the Heartless grew fainter.

A mid all the confusion of scientists running around to the military making sure the heartless threat was contained no one noticed a single girl dressed in white with the palest blonde hair one could ever imagine walking in the halls and out a hole the heartless had created. She walked slowly as if in a daze away from the smoldering building and out into the light that promised safely and the end of so much pain.

* * *

Sora sat outside on the steps of the recovering hotel as the first few rays of light descended down on the city. His usually cheerful eyes showed signs of betrayal and pain as he watched the city light up. The world kept on turning no matter what happened on its surface, all of them could die and the world would just keep turning. Biting his lower lip he looked down on the ground to turn away from the sunlight.

After all his fighting and arguments the Commander had stayed resolute on his stance. Not even Clouds pleas had moved the rock steady man from his decision and so it stood, no one was going after Roxas.

While Sora had been declared fit to leave the temporary hospital, Cloud was still bed ridden and was unable to partake in fixing up the building or going on recon. Soon he to, would be sent on missions again and the world would just keep going as if Roxas had never come back in the first place. No matter how hard he tried, Sora couldn't get Roxas' face out of his head as he had Riku had left in the portal. It had been a mix of pain and hope, pain of what was to happen but hope that his brother had at least gotten away and all the while that gun had been at his head.

At first when he had Riku had gotten back the place had been buzzing about the disappearance of Roxas and Axel but now it had moved on to other things such as Yuna getting caught in bed with Tidus. Did no one care that Roxas was gone? And the truth was that no, hardly anyone did. Sure a few people such as Yuna and Aerith noticed the space that was left empty but for the most part no one spared a thought to the tragedy that was ripping Sora apart at the seams.

The sounds of work started to fill the air as the threat of the Heartless being disturbed and lured to the base was dispelled for the moment with the sun out. Sora rubbed his fingers together before summoning his keyblade forth in a fracture of light. His keyblade was different, or that's at least what the commander had told him when he showed him it for the first time. It was called Ultima and it looked like a delicate mesh of metal work that was in various hues of blue and gold. Whenever he was confused or scared Sora would look at it and get lost in the intricate design that it held. More than anything right now he just wanted to go out in the city and tear apart heartless in vengeance for what had happened.

"It's not your fault Sora; it's not anyone's fault but theirs." Sora instantly recognized the voice to be Riku's and dismissed the blade away. "Don't blame yourself." Sora felt more than saw Riku sit down next to him on the stairs. He immediately shied away, the want to be alone in his pain present but a small part of him in his heart cried out to be held and comforted. He felt weak having that part of him, Roxas wouldn't have sat around. He had done something.

Riku ignored Sora's body language and wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and drew him in close to his body. Sora resisted by putting an arm out against Rikus chest but the pain in his heart overcame him. Feeling tears start to make tracks down his face he shoved his face into Rikus lap to hide his shame. His shoulders shook as the spasms of grief made his body tremble.

Somehow Roxas had returned to them and in a blink of an eye he was gone, possibly dead. Over the past three months Sora had always felt Roxas as a part of him inside his heart telling him that he was still alive but now it was gone and in its place was a gaping hole. And that fact scared Sora the most.

* * *

Axel burst out of the black portal and landed on his side in a huff with Roxas clutched tightly to his chest. Hayner had already come out before him and sat in the dead grass with a mixed expression as he watched the portal dissipate into nothingness. Not letting his body have a rest for one moment, Axel slowly pulled Roxas' limp body away from his chest and laid him gently on a clear patch of grass.

Roxas was breathing shallowly and his face was contorted in pain but most of damage to his body had been patched up, albeit haphazardly, by Hayner. He lacked his trademark sweatshirt and undershirt which made Axel feel the fury build once more in his stomach at the thought of what might have happened to him in that place but held it in place, this wasn't the right time. Instead he focused on checking the wounds that were festering underneath the dirty dressing. Pulling back the gauze he flared his nostrils at the sight of the knife wound that, by the looks of the electrical burns, was made by Larxene.

Narrowing his eyes Axel looked up at the visibly shaken kid in front of him who was trembling softly at the site of his friend who had come so close to dying in that room. His brown eyes were wide and currently staring at the two wings ebony wings that trailed out from behind Roxas' back.

"Hayner, I need you to do something." Axel said softly but firmly in order to get Hayner to know this was serious. Hayner looked up slowly and Axel realized in the back of his mind, this kid was afraid of him. Not letting that change anything he continued. "I need you to hold Roxas down in case he fights what I am about to do, ok?"

Right away Hayner became defensive, "Wha-what are you going to do." His sentence started out weak but finished out strong.

"I need to stop the bleeding. Can you help me do that?" His voice was still soft but frustration at dealing with this kid was getting to him causing a tone to develop. Hayner didn't seem to be affected though and his only reply was to put his hands gently down on Roxas uninjured arms and gaze down at Roxas' pained face.

Knowing nothing else was needed to be said Axel leaned down beside Roxas and pulled out the knife he always kept on his leg. He saw Hayner eyes widen further at seeing this new development but if he had any complaints he didn't voice them. Not stuttering in his movements, Axel brought his hand up to the blade and started to heat the metal up till it burned a bright orange red. With years of practice running through his veins, Axel brought the side of the blade down onto the knife slice in Roxas' chest and began to cauterize the still bleeding arteries closed to stop the blood loss.

Roxas let out a groan and tried to shift away from Axels touch but Hayner followed through and kept his grip in place preventing further damage. Axel finished up and removed the bandaging all the way off and in place ripped off a piece of his cloak and put that in its place. It wasn't perfect but it was better than what was there before. He did the same to the shoulder wound and soon Roxas was starting to breathe normally and his breathing became less shallow.

Feeling relieved Axel finally took the time to observe their surroundings. He stood up and realized with a start they were in the old park near Watterson Street and that was only a few miles from the headquarters. Looking further up into the skyline of the buildings that surrounded them he almost convinced himself he saw the familiar peak but of course he didn't.

The sun had just began to rise and showered its warmth down on them making Axel feel involuntarily hopeful. Shaking his head out he turned back around to see Hayner still sitting next to Roxas who started to gain color back to his features.

A cold breeze blew by bringing Axel back to his senses. Ignoring Hayner, he knelt down and pulled Roxas up into a sitting position, careful to tuck the wings back into place, and put his cloak on Roxas to help with any chills he might feel from the brisk weather. Feeling content that that had worked Axel plopped back down on the ground and brought the wrist watch forward to see if he could figure it out. The only reason he didn't start walking back right away was for the fact Roxas seemed stable and he was pretty tired from the all the energy he had used.

Hayner was still acting lethargic and hadn't moved from his spot but Axel didn't really care. The watch was now completely beat up and seemed to have used all its remained life on that last portal that was created. It didn't respond to any of the prodding or poking but Axel didn't let up on his new device.

A rustling was heard but Axel disregarded it knowing it was just Hayner finally coming to his senses but the flash of light and a cry of pain spoke otherwise. Looking up Axel saw that Roxas was awake and trying to stand up. The relief he felt was short lived as he saw Hayner on the ground holding his arm clearly in pain from the looks of it but his face only held confusion.

Roxas was heaving as his face switched from Hayner and Axel with his washed out eyes. Roxas was acting on instinct and didn't know friend from foe.

* * *

Lucky for me I finally finished writing out the story plan but probably like the first one that will get thrown under a bus. I hope you liked this chapter with its Axelness and crap so if you did please review and make my depressing finals week a tad better.

And remember, if you have any suggestions on the story feel free to tell me.


	25. Chapter 25

HAH! Take that Finals, I can study and write at the same time. Only two more to go until I am free. I know this chapter is a bit on the short side but I liked how it ended and didn't want to ruin it by adding another scene.

Thanks again for the review, I treasure every one I receive.

* * *

"What the hell is going on?!" Roxas thought fervently as the world blurred heavily in front of him. It was like looking through the wrong end of a kaleidoscope while drunk. The effect was starting to make him feel nauseous as his feet swayed dangerously underneath him from his shortage of energy. He would have stopped and rubbed his eyes to try to alleviate some of the blurriness but the threat the people around him represented dissuaded him from this course of action. From what he could make out, he was outside and in a grassy area with two people near him in different directions. If he had to guess, he would have said they were two men but he wasn't placing any bets at the moment.

The two people hadn't moved from their spots after Roxas' attack but instead stayed stock still as if in shock to what was happening. He didn't let this fact lower his guard though and defiance held his keyblade higher in his trembling hand to let them know he meant business. Unfortunately his shoulder was starting to cramp up causing his hand that held the keyblade to shake like that but he hoped they didn't notice and take advantage that disadvantage he had. The fear of what might happen if it seized up drove his adrenaline up lessening the shaking to some degree but it was still prevalent. That short blackout had given him enough strength to stand up and attack blindly but he could tell if he didn't start doing something his legs would give out and he would be in worse shape than he had been to start with.

The person who he had hit to the ground from his attack, started to move away with loud movements causing Roxas' wings to try and open up instinctively but found that was made difficult by the coat that had been placed on him during his brief time he had been knocked out. Not taking the time to investigate the coat he watched as the green and brown splotchy person scoot away from him holding his arm. Roxas made no move to stop him; if the person wasn't going to attack him then he wasn't going to waste the precious energy he had left on someone who wasn't a threat to him.

Roxas shifted his blind gaze at the man who had not retreated and was instead starting to take small steps towards him with both of his hands upraised. He was able to make out the man had on all black clothing and had red hair but anything else he couldn't make out or wasn't certain enough to make note of. The man had begun to speak and Roxas listened haphazardly as he started to back up and look for a viable escape route, he didn't think he had enough energy to fight so retreat was his next best option.

Once he heard the man's voice though, he stopped dead in his tracks and slowly pivoted his head, his blue eyes wide with uncertainty.

"Roxas, calm down. It's me Axel, your friend." Looking back at the man, Roxas noted he did bare some similarities to Axel but it couldn't be, it just couldn't. The last thing he could remember was having Saix bore down upon him with the intent to kill and now he was here in some outside area with apparently Axel, Axel of all people. The one person he would have given anything to see again was here in front of him. This had to be some dream or he had died in that room with Saix and this was the afterlife.

The wounds on his stomach and shoulder spoke otherwise to these theories for they squeezed angrily at the rough movements Roxas was making but he still couldn't believe it. It hurt to hope but he did.

His vision was starting to get better and more and more of the man were revealed, until Roxas saw it, the eyes that haunted him in the recesses of his mind at that institute branch in the city. Brilliant sea green gazed at him with such a degree of pleading it hurt his heart. Biting his lower lip in an attempt to stop himself from crying out in pure joy, Roxas forced himself to stay calm. This could be a trap, some horrible trap they decided to do to him to break him or allow his vulnerable side to show so they could use it against him in the future. He couldn't let his hopes get up and then have them dashed, he didn't have the strength at the moment to go through that.

The red haired man continued to speak and walk forward, "Roxas listen to me! You're in a park near Watterson Street. Me and Hayner got you out of there. You're safe now!" Roxas could tell the man was trying to take it slow with him but frustration was starting to add a tone to his voice. Roxas furrowed his eyebrows as his keyblade disappeared involuntarily from his hand as the strength needed to keep it, left him. He was on lower energy than he thought. He didn't have much time left if he wanted to try and escape.

Looking back up from his hand, he noticed the man across from him saw this as a good sign and started to walk forward faster until Roxas felt uncomfortable enough to yell out "Stop!"

This stopped the man dead in his tracks as a look of hurt crossed his blurry face for a brief moment. Roxas was starting to pant as the effort it took to remain standing up increased. There was no way he could run, there was no way he could fly, and there was no way he could fight. It was game over. His luck had finally run out, but what if this really was Axel, then he had been freaking out over nothing but there was only one way to find out. And if it wasn't Axel, then there was always plan D.

"Prove you're Axel!" Roxas cried out as one of his legs almost gave out from under him. He caught it before he fell down but time was running short. He had to hurry this along before he was forced to do something drastic.

"Wait what? Prove I'm me?" The man was clearly growing irritated by the question. This was a good sign; Axel never was one for patience.

"You heard right." Was Roxas' only reply, as his attention was being more and more diverted to keeping his legs straight. The man didn't answer right away and seemed to take the question seriously. Roxas' vision had improved enough so only the edges of the man were blurry now which showed that the man did indeed resemble Axel in every way except for the scratches that adorned his face.

"A while ago I received a concussion from a particular flowery man named Marluxia which caused me to pass out on you on the way back to our headquarters. On the way there you told me you used to live in Ifrit and that you loved fireworks. You also told me you were going to name something to rhyme with orange; I'm still holding you to that by the way." Roxas was in shock, how could he know that even if he was Axel. During that walk he was so sure Axel had been so out of it he wouldn't have remembered anything.

"And the last thing you told me was that I was your best friend. And believe me when I say you're mine to, that's why I broke you out of that place." Axel started to walk forward again but this time Roxas didn't shy away, he couldn't have if he wanted to but that was beside the point. The red hair, the familiar smile, this was Axel, his Axel.

Roxas struggled to keep his emotions hidden under a blank face of indifference but the sheer amount happiness that was coursing through his heart wouldn't stand for that. He finally relented with a lopsided grin that revealed more to the red head then he knew. Roxas watched as Axel took the last steps forward to end up towering over him.

But instead of Axel making the last move, it was Roxas' turn. Without making a sound Roxas leaned forward and buried his head in Axel's chest. His legs quaked softly as the dry sobs wracked his body from the absolute relief he felt at the turn of events the day had taken. Long arms wrapped around him engulfing him in warmth that was appreciated as Roxas dug his head further trying to disappear from the world. He felt Axel lower his chin into his hair cuddling closer as if he was going to disappear any second. No tears fell though, Roxas wasn't one for tears but it was a close call.

"Is he ok?" A voice popped up from the side of them that he recognized as Hayners that held a tone he couldn't identify. Roxas felt Axel pull his head up but he stayed where he was content in the moment he was experiencing. He never had felt as safe as he did now and he didn't want to lose that, even to see Hayner.

"Yeah…" Axel said quietly holding Roxas closer and rocking back and forth slightly. "I think he is."

* * *

Mickey paced in his dark office furiously as the information that he had just pieced together buzzed in his brain like a hoard of bees. Turning suddenly without warning he violently knocked the papers on his desk into the air with a single sweep of his calloused hands. He breathed hard as he watched the flurry of papers gently floated to the ground despite the force they had been flung into the air with. The beams of light that slanted through the cracks in the wood covered window made the situation even tenser as it set the somber mood. A headache began to form between Mickey's eyes as the information proved to be too much for him to handle.

Pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave it off, he rotated around to face the wall behind his desk that was adorned with a multitude of articles. They held all kinds of information from over the past three months detailing the different information about the military and Nobodies they had accumulated. For months he had been trying to figure out what the greater goal the military held was and now he was scared shitless having finally figured it out. The information was all there, from the papers Axel had only delivered him a few weeks ago to the information he had acquired from the military base in the grocery store.

He had had so many different theories but the one he had concluded to be the one was far worse than he imagined anyone could be capable of. And to top it all off he had finally figured out how Roxas played in to it all. All the things the kid had been though, he had seen it all when he had sifted through the memories of those three months.

Subject Seven they had called him, so much had been placed upon this one last test subject. Each experiment had lead up to another and another all for one thing they were trying to achieve but oh how they had failed. Subject Seven had messed up their perfect plan by escaping early and botching up the careful schedule they had worked out with the dosages they had been injecting into him.

The Commander turned around slowly to open one of the many drawers that habited in his desk to pull out the dark vial that contained the dark matter which had had no formal name as of yet. The dark matter was the pure form of Heartless essence that when breathed in either transformed someone into one of them or into a Nobody. The scientists had thought that if the body was exposed to more than the change the body underwent to prepare would be drastically increased and in theory create a stronger Nobody.

Looking through the reports had revealed that yes in theory this idea was strong but in reality it proved to be more difficult than they had imagined. In result of their toying with nature they had created monstrosities that died shortly after. Roxas and one other were the only ones to survive and probably had sealed his fate that night he had broken out.

Now Roxas' body was rejecting the Heartless essence still left in his body and if he didn't receive the required amount for his body to wean off of it the results could be disastrous and dangerous to the people around him. If Roxas was still around Mickey would have been forced to take care of him but things had worked out for the best. Roxas was now gone and most likely dead leaving the Military one step behind their grand scheme for Roxas had been a vital component it seemed.

The only downside to the turn of events was Axel was now gone leaving the their base short one operative who had had the most promise when it came to sheer power but all would be well. He still had Cloud, Squall, Riku and many more to stop the military from succeeding in their plans. Rubbing a hand over his face, Mickey returned to facing his desk before opening the bottom most drawer and pulling out a old cigar. He sat down into this worn wooden chair and brought out the lighter he kept in the same drawer before lighting up. The first drag felt like heaven and calmed his nerves instantly as the other information he had uncovered swirled in his head. It took another long drag before he could even begin to think about it.

There had been one more crucial element to the Militaries plan. An imperative element that whoever controlled it controlled the outcome of the city. The plan was all linked back to one person, one little girl who had the fate of the world in her hands. A small girl named, Naminé.

* * *

Roxas bobbed up and down pleasantly as his head rested heavily on Axels shoulder for all energy needed to keep it aloft escaped him. The need to sleep was prevalent but he fought it off because even though he was with Axel, the need to keep an eye out for trouble was integrated in him to heavily for him to resist. The three of them kept up a steady pace as they walked back to the headquarters though it was only Hayner and Axel walking for he was currently hitching a ride on Axels back. Walking was a little out of his range at the moment having used up the remaining energy he had on his rude awakening.

But now he was out in the sun away from the anesthetic smell and needles with the knowledge his brothers were safe and sound. Roxas felt like he was on cloud nine, not only was he on his way back home but he was with Axel and Hayner. But soon his euphoric sensation began to wear off and the weight of the world fell back on his shoulders as he watched Hayner walk alongside him and Axel. With curiosity becoming more prevalent with each second that passed he asked the question he had been dying to know ever since that fateful date with destiny

"Hayner?" Roxas said quietly, laying his head on its side so he faced his long lost friend who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Hayner looked at him with a mixture of emotions that was a blend of fear and anger. Seeing his friend in such turmoil at the sight of him caused Roxas to shift his gaze away momentarily but he continued on with his question nonetheless. "What happened to Ollette and Pence after the explosion, are they ok?"

This inquiry caused Hayner to flinch as if an actual blow had been directed at him. Roxas immediately felt guilty for asking but he had to know if there was any hope of finding them to. The continued to move at a stable pace but now with a blanket of silence enveloping them as Hayner contemplated on how he would answer this question. Roxas waited patiently, he had waited for over three months. He could wait a couple minutes to get his question answered.

The minutes passed by slowly until ultimately Hayners brown eyes turned to meet sky blue. The stare had such defiance in it Roxas almost recoiled at the sight of all the blame that was being thrown at him. "They're dead Roxas; they died that day the explosion occurred." Hayner stopped walking causing Axel to halt in mid step, Roxas couldn't see but he knew Axel would be shooting Hayner his usual what the fuck face. But nothing could have prepared Roxas for what his friend said next.

"And the way I see it, maybe we would have been better off if you died that day to." Hayner said softly but with purpose. Instantly Axel retaliated with vehemence that matched a mother bear that sees someone threatening their cubs.

"What the crap Hayner! Where did that come from!?" Axel whirled around to face the stoic kid who was looking at the ground not wanting to look at the gates of fury that was Axel. Roxas felt the world stop as Hayner uttered those words, his friend thought he should have died? Hayner didn't let up either, he rose to the challenge Axel had created and continued to voice his thoughts.

"It's true and you know it, you heard what those scientists had said, I know you did! Or were you too caught up in the search to find him you didn't hear what they were saying?" Hayner said blatantly ignoring the look of horror on Roxas' face. "They created him to be the pinnacle of their depraved experiments, to be something different that can't even be defined as human."

Hayner was now looking straight at Axel, disregarding Roxas entirely. "I didn't want to believe it at first, and when I saw him broken on the floor I knew it couldn't be true but then… but then I saw him for what he really is, a monster. A monster that attacks first without question! He's no longer the Roxas I knew, hell he isn't even a person anymore." Hayner looked away once more and fixed his gaze at the ground as Axel and Roxas stood in shock at the accusations he was throwing around.

"And to think I had…" Hayner trailed off and took a step back. "Hell, I don't even know what to think anymore." Rubbing a hand vigorously through his hair he continued, "I can't stay around anymore, I won't tell them what I found out of respect for our former friendship but if we meet again I most likely won't be on your side. And I won't give a second thought if I have to kill you. Goodbye." And with that final statement, Hayner turned around and started to walk away. Roxas felt Axel heat up as the anger pulsed in his veins.

"You're wrong Hayner." Axel said surprisingly calmly, "He's more of a person than you ever could hope to be."

Hayner didn't turn around but he did stop for a second before starting up again and promptly disappeared out of sight. Axel raised his hand and did a vulgar sign before turning back towards the direction of the Headquarters and started to walk briskly to get away from the stench of betrayal in the air.

Roxas felt his heart slow as the information started to process.

His friend thought he should have died.

His friend thought they would be better off if he was dead.

His friend was gone.

Roxas had been through so much and defied so many people but those fallacies had ripped him his chest wide open to expose his defenseless heart and rip into it without pity. He bit down on his tongue to stop himself from crying out in frustration. He hadn't had a choice when it came to what happened to him yet here someone was yelling at him like he had.

He felt ashamed and more vulnerable than he ever had before and that scared him. His wings retracted in further as he laid his head against Axels back and tried to disappear from the world and its depravities. Trying to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat he remembered those papers he had found in Vexens office and the one he hadn't gotten to read, what had they tried to achieve with him? What had they done to him!?

"Roxas that was complete and utter bullshit, you know that right?" Axel said turning his head slightly trying to see Roxas' face. The blond could tell Axel was worried about him, which made him feel guiltier. The man had gone and rescued him and what had he done for him in return? A big fat load of nothing.

"Yeah, I'm fine. No worries." Roxas said reluctantly after a small pause to compose himself enough so his voice wouldn't crack mid sentence. Axel didn't seem convinced but let it drop probably knowing pushing it wouldn't help things in Roxas case. Instead he simply gave the blonds legs a small squeeze to let him know he was there and kept on walking down the deserted road.

And the sun kept shining.

* * *

Yep, thats it. No cliff hanger this time that doesn't mean you're safe from them.

Finally some Akuroku is showing through, I didn't mean for it to happen so late into the game but they had only just met eachother and they needed to bond damnit! I hate the fanfictions that just rush into thing so i decided mine it would be different.

Again please review!


	26. Chapter 26

Boy or boy did this chapter take forever. Just figuring out how it was going to happen took forever and took up three pages of concept art. Any who its done now. Again thanks for all the reviews, the motivation it gives is always helpful to me to crank out another chapter.

I don't own anything related to Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, ect.

* * *

Frank Scott and Hojo arrived in the city at 1200 hours where they met up with the vehicle that had been sent to pick them up. They were currently being driven underneath the city using a series of tunnel that were modeled after the tunnel systems that ants utilized. The passages were of good size and if it wasn't for the lack of windows or the abundance of air vents, one would never have thought that it was underground.

A multitude of military people could be seen walking about to get to their destinations free of worry of being attacked by heartless. Hojo and Frank were currently traveling in a small jeep driven by a pale man who had wispy strands of grey hair sprouting from under his military beret. The driver was driving the correct speed limit of the tunnel but that was apparently to slow for Frank who sat rigidly in his seat next to Hojo. He rubbed his patchy beard frequently and seemed to be thinking about something with great fervency the way his eyes danced around at his surroundings. Hojo on the other hand sat casually beside his fellow scientist and seemed content to watch the people in amusement at what he could do to them to change them if he so chose.

"You really need to calm down," Hojo remarked motioning towards the man's constant movement beside him, "Might give them more fuel to destroy your career acting like that." He finished it off with a light laugh at the thought. Hojo felt no pity for the man who had effectively demolished his rising career the night Subject Seven had disappeared by acting stupidly and on impulse. If the man had just called security to apprehend the subject than none of the problems that were popping up would have occurred and they would be almost done with this city and be on to the next part of the plan.

Instead Frank had ended up almost killing off the valuable asset and got a concussion from a strike of the keyblade that should have killed him. Hojo took off his glasses and rubbed them with his lab coat in a habit he had formed when he thought of subject seven and all the issues the boy had brought on them. Hojo had known of the kid's ingenuity but he had wanted to see what would happen if he let it go unchecked. Ah, curiosity was his weakness but no one had to know that he had known.

Frank didn't say a word in response to Hojo insults but did he lower his hands reluctantly from his face to fold them in his lap like some huffy child that didn't get their way.

"You're lucky you're even still around, if it had been up to me I would have thrown your ass out of the program faster than you can say Amino Acid. But sadly they deemed you still worthy of your place." Hojo continued as the jeep puttered along down a winding bit of road, "I just hope for your sake the subject is still alive and in their hands. If we don't get him back on the schedule even an incompetent fool like you knows what will happen."

Frank just mumbled something in response not wanting to acknowledge the conversation more than he needed to. Hojo just turned back forward and cackled softly at the lack of communication from the pissed off man to his right and bent over to grab the small folder down by his feet. Settling it down in his lap he opened it to reveal a torrent of spreadsheets and graphs that spilled out from the pressure they had been stored in. They detailed Subject Sevens progress with intricate detail that showed the hard work that had been put into them. The lack of information on what was happening to Subject Seven for the past few weeks made his nostrils flair in frustration as Hojo gazed down at a bar graph that illustrated the subjects increase in stamina over the time he had been with them.

Pushing his glasses higher up on his nose he commented, "These numbers had such promise for our goals but if we don't start back up soon everything could just get flushed down the drain. It's bad enough Subject Six fell through when he did, we don't have time to start over again." Hojo took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead vigorously. "If this falls through all we have worked for will be immensely hampered."

"I don't think Sephiroth would appreciate you still calling him that." Frank said quietly but the edge of belligerence in his voice spoke volumes in the well lit expanse of hallway.

This caused a crooked grin to form on Hojos face, "He will _always _be the failure that was subject six. Besides he is old news not worth mentioning further now that we almost have Subject Seven back in our hands." Hojo placed his glasses back on his nose and dove back into the papers, scanning them over for any discrepancies he might have missed over the countless times he had poured over them. Many might call him a mad but none could deny he had good work ethic when it came to things he was invested in.

A small chuckle from the front of the roving jeep drew Hojo from his concentration. He peeked over his glasses to see the driver chuckling to himself as if he had heard something hilarious. Hojo tried to ignore it but once again curiosity crept up causing him to ask.

"Pray tell Austin, what has you so happy?" Hojo said drolly, he was in no mood to play around. There were plans to be made, experiments to be scheduled, and strategies to solidify.

"Sorry sir, but it's obvious you two haven't heard the latest gossips around the barracks yet." The man broke off to turn back around to hide his guffaws of laughter. It was a wonder the jeep was able to stay straight and not run into any of the undecorated walls. It took him a while but he finally turned his head back around so his surprisingly white smile was seen as he said, "There was an attack on the place they were holding the kid, he's gone! And to if that wasn't bad enough they can't find that little girl."

Hojos hands tightened around the folder he held leaving his handprints in the papers. "What?"

* * *

"Roxas look," Axel said pointing a finger towards the roof of a familiar building, "We're almost home." His voice held such hope and happiness from the belief that they would soon be relinquished from all the burdens that this trip had placed on them. Hearing it hurt so Roxas just kept his eyes low and on the ground passing under Axel's feet to keep himself from speaking up on the negativity that was roiling about inside. A headache had developed and it was getting worse with each second that passed.

The irony of what was happening didn't go unappreciated, no it being anything but that. The memory of Hayner yelling at him the day that hell had arrived was brought back with vivid clarity as well as the memory of the explosion that followed soon after. Now Roxas couldn't help but feel a rush of déjà vu as the scene of Hayner calling him a monster and practically spitting in his face ran on a repeat over and over again whenever he closed his eyes. It felt like a bad omen had come and slapped him in the face and told him there was something way worse to come. A cold shiver ran down his spine and his wings fluffed up under Axels cloak from the agitation that these thoughts were making.

Axel glanced behind to get a peak at Roxas, it had been hardly over an hour after they had separated from Hayner and since then Roxas hadn't said a word.

Roxas tried to smile to reassure his friend that he was fine and that Hayners words hadn't done the damage they had but it didn't work out that well and it probably didn't reassure Axel at all. In the end Axel just looked unconvinced and turned his head back to the front as they passed by yet another messed up mom and pop shop. Roxas felt even worse at his lack of ability to do something as simple as lie and bit his lip to stop himself from saying anything.

They turned a corner and entered the street that lead up to the hotel and showed the buildings roof in all its shining glory. It really was a beacon of light in such a hopeless time but the fact that Roxas was still stuck on Axels back being a damsel in distress did not sit well with him. He couldn't walk back to his brothers in this state, that wasn't him and he did not like it.

"I want to walk, let me down." Roxas knew he sounded like some petulant child but he didn't care. He needed to prove to himself that he could do something as simple as walking because if he couldn't do that than how on earth could he do anything else.

"Wait, what?" Axel stopped in his tracks and tried to rotate around to face the agitated kid that was currently situated on his back. "If you haven't noticed Roxas, you're not really in the condition to walk." Axel tried to start walking again but was hampered by the squirming actions Roxas was employing to get himself off the back he was stuck on.

"Hey stop that!" Axel gripped Roxas' legs tighter but if Roxas was one thing it was stubborn and he wasn't going to give up.

"Axel! I want off." He put his hands flat on Axels back and pushed back until his arms were completely straight and he was practically horizontal with the ground. He felt Axel tense up to fight against his brazen action until he finally relented, probably in fear Roxas was going to hurt himself more, and relaxed his arms enough for Roxas to ease his legs out enough for him to slip to the ground to land on his butt.

"Thank you." Roxas said sourly as he got into a standing position with Axel watching him warily. His shoulder wound seemed dead to the world and gave him no trouble but the slice in his abdomen screamed in protest as his muscles contracted with movement. He hid his pain well though, and the only sign he was in distress at all was a slight twitch in his lip.

Once he began walking, it was easier to ignore it which was greatly appreciated. He heard Axel start up behind him but he could tell he was watching him carefully for any signs he needed help. Roxas grimaced and tried to walk faster. He hated this, absolutely hated this. It wasn't the injuries or the pain in his heart from being called a monster. No it was the fact that he was the root of all of Axels' problems at the moment.

He was the cause of Axels' injuries, the fact Axel had left the safety of the headquarters, and the reason Axel was messed up in all this. He was supposed to be a person who prevented things, who took burdens on himself to protect others from harm. But now look at him; he was the center of his brothers' pain, Hayners pain and now Axel's pain. If it was even possible, his wings bristled more causing the cloak he borrowed from Axel to rumple up in the back.

"Roxas…" Axel trailed off at the end not knowing what to say. He never was one for things like this. Kicking someone's butt or doing a mission, those things he could do but situations like this threw him for a loop. Hesitantly, he reached a hand out to put it on Roxas' good shoulder not knowing what else he could do for his struggling friend.

The blond shrugged away instantly but did it to fast making himself stumble in a dip in the ground created by a heartless' claw. That misstep transformed into falling motion when a clash of pain manifested in all of the lobes of his brain. His knees bent under him immediately and crashed into the asphalt causing a few abrasions but he didn't care. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as the first few times but it still was a nine out of ten easily.

Dimly, he heard Axel say his name and kneel down next to him but that didn't matter. What was was the fact that the world was slipping away bit by bit as the colors of the road and buildings ran together and left him and Axel alone in the jumble of colors that were slowly reforming to make a new environment.

Roxas clutched blindly at his head with only one hand as he watched the world around of him change from a sunny day to a nighttime vista. The street, that was under his knees, swirled and convulsed violently before settling down to create a deteriorating rooftop that held a spectacular view of the city's skyline. The sky was clear and bright as a full moon hung in the sky illuminating almost everything that was in view. Roxas was in such awe he failed to notice the black fluid that was making a trail down his face.

Axel kept saying words to him that didn't seem to be English and instead were just a jumble of sounds that meant nothing. Roxas turned towards him and saw fear in his eyes but his attention was brought back to the view of the skyline where a girl stood on the far side of the roof. Her hair was the softest blonde he could imagine and her skin was so pale it practically glowed in the moonlight. And there she stood so out of place in this environment just silently gazing at him. Her white dress fluttered delicately in the air as the wind caught underneath it but she seemed incredibly calm as a smile played on her features.

Roxas reached out to her to try and warn her that she was too close to the edge but she shook her head and put a finger to her lips as her blonde hair whipped around her face. She lowered her hand and mouthed something at him that he couldn't make out. Her foot took a step back resulting in her body being mere inches from a fall that would kill anyone who was mad enough to tumble over. Roxas eyes widened as he fought through the pain to put a foot on the ground and start forward.

"My brain must be short circuiting, that's it." Roxas thought blindly as he moved slowly as if in a dream towards the girl in his hallucination.

Again, she shook her head but this time didn't smile as she mouthed the same phrase over again.

"NO!" Roxas shouted as her intentions became clear. Time slowed down as she leaned backwards while raising her hands up as if she was on a cross. He ran forward but his movements were haphazard as the pain took its hold. He took another hard fall to the ground as another bout of pain ran through his head but he landed on an elbow that he jutted out at last second. He looked up just in time to see her disappear completely out of view and into oblivion.

"Roxas!" Panic cloyed Axels' voice as he leaned down and gave Roxas a hard shake to try and get his attention back from whatever he was seeing. As if someone had pulled the plug, the world jolted back into reality. The darkness flew back to all corners of the city leaving the sun shining down. The roof sucked back into the ground and no view of the skyline was in sight. Roxas pushed away from Axel and stood up feeling the pain recede away as if it had never been there.

He looked around expecting the girl in white to show up around a corner and tell him he was really losing his mind but all that he saw was the road leading up their home. Roxas felt like he was going to start hyperventilating, he could handle pain but that hallucination was new. What did it mean, who was that girl, and why now? It felt like the world was tipping over on him and he had nothing to hold onto to keep him steady and he was going to fall off into space. Hands fell on his shoulders and a face came into view that he recognized as Axels. His green eyes were filled with concern causing the knot in Roxas' stomach to tighten with guilt.

Once more, he was the cause of it.

Axel had a look of puzzlement cross his face as he reached one of his hands up to brush Roxas' face lightly. When he brought it back, his fingertips were coated in black liquid that had the consistency of oil. Roxas did the same and found it to be the same liquid as before when he had confronted the Blue Moons.

"Damnit…" Roxas tried to rub it off but it continued to ooze out slowly. It dripped down onto the ground and left splotches on the ground and looked like some messed up rickshaw test as Roxas leaned over to cover his embarrassment at this sign of weakness. It was all too much, everything was just adding up together to make a load of shit that he was having trouble coping with. Three months of horror that he had to endure until he escaped where he finally found his brother but found out his other brother was in trouble. He then was able to save his twin but then lost him during a chain of events which lead to him being stuck in a branch of the institute where he had been brutally beaten up by six deadly warriors to an inch of his life. Somehow he had been rescued by Hayner and Axel but then when he thought things were finally going to go his way, surprise, his long lost friend thought he should be dead because he was a monster and he was apparently going crazy seeing white girls commit suicide.

To make matters worse, whatever the scientists had done to him in those three months it appeared to be going wrong as his body was rejecting whatever they had injected into him. The brain seizures and now the fluid coming from his head were all signs of this.

And the cherry on top of this pile of shit was the fact that in the process of leaning over he noticed he still had his charm bracelet wrapped around his ankle. Fighting the urge to yell out, Roxas pulled away from the hands that gripped his shoulders and sat down on the ground as he brought his keyblade to his hand in a flash of light.

Axel didn't say anything but watched with a frown as Roxas pulled up his pants leg and started to bash his keyblade against the black band of metal wrapped around his ankle. It was a fruitless endeavor for the keyblade just bounced off with each consecutive strike until Roxas gave up with a cry frustration that had been building up within him for a long time.

"I want it off, I need it off!" Roxas threw his keyblade off to the side of him to the ground; it skittered on the tar until it disappeared in a flash of sparks. His hands tore at the device but it was a futile proposition that only left his skin underneath raw and bruised in result

"Roxas stop." Axel said firmly, but Roxas only hesitated before continuing which led to Axel putting his hand on Roxas' right shoulder and squeezing, hard. This elicited a searing pain to erupt from that said part that had been numb before Axel had touched it. Roxas immediately stopped what he was doing to pull the hand that was causing his half healed injury to hurt like that. That pain though brought him back to his senses and made him finally take notice of Axel's presence who was looking at him sternly. Roxas opened his mouth to say something but knew it wouldn't matter and shut it again.

"Talk to me, and don't freak out this time." Axel stared into his eyes and made him feel shame with his words. Licking his chapped lips, he put his hands on his knees as Axel continued to kneel down in front of him with his piercing green eyes on him like a hawk. And the whole time the black oily liquid dripped slowly down his face.

"It was too much, I couldn't handle it." Roxas said quietly, he was supposed to be strong, never let anything get to him and here he was failing his best friend. The anger was building up inside him again so he punched the ground to release it. Light sparks shot out upon impact but the pain that was felt cleared his head of the wrath he wanted unleash on the world that let him go through what he did.

"I should be able to deal with it, just," He breathed steadily for a moment before continuing, "Just give me a moment."

Roxas felt more vulnerable than he had ever had before and he didn't like it. His wings had gotten so puffed up that his cloak that covered them made him appear to be some sort of hunchback.

"It's ok to be scared Roxas. You're only human." Axel said firmly trying to convince his comrade of this important fact.

Roxas laughed hollowly at this, "I'm not so sure about that anymore." He fixed his gaze on Axel through the blackness that threatened to obscure his vision over one eye in further proof this claim. Axel sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"What I'm trying to say…" He looked up at the sky in thought, "God Damnit I'm bad at this, what I'm trying to say Roxas is I'm here. And no matter what happens I'll be there for you as best I can." His gaze returned to Roxas', "I don't know if that helps buts it's all I got."

Roxas sat silently and didn't say anything; he didn't know what to say. No one but his family had ever said anything like that. Axel didn't say anymore but moved to Roxas' ankle to examine the device that was latched on there. With deft hands he fingered around on it trying to find any weak spots or hitches in the design he could use to his advantage.

As he did this Roxas found his voice and said, "Thanks." It was all he could say.

"Don't worry about it, that's what friends are for." His hands flew to his pants leg where he pulled out a hunting knife that had blood still on it from its latest activity. Even though he knew better, Roxas' heart started to beat faster at the sight of the weapon. With skill, Axel moved it down to a hairline cut down the side of the contraption and wedged the knife in to begin working on removing it. Silence descended on them as the last bits of the shadow that covered them was slowly lifted to allow fresh air to hit them.

Roxas felt his wings calm down and flatten out as his lungs took in oxygen at a slow pace. The black liquid had stilled its expedition down his face and had settled on drying on his face. Looking down the road he couldn't help but be reminded of what he had seen. Had it been merely a hallucination brought on by the pain or had it been something else. It had seemed so real he could practically still feel the roof of the building. When everything calmed down he was going to fly and find that roof, maybe it held some clue.

The sound of metal hitting the road caught him off guard and made Roxas flinch backwards but when he felt the weight that had become normal on his ankle gone he smiled. While looking at it Axel reached a hand forwards and tenderly touched Roxas' face just below his left eye. His thumb rubbed gently and Roxas felt some of the dried blackness crack and fall off. Roxas felt his blue eyes widen as something came alive in chest and fluttered about.

Axel drew hand back and pushed off of the ground to tower over Roxas before looking down and cocking his head slightly. His hand reached down and was extended to the blond who was looking at him with a mix of emotions.

Without hesitation, Roxas took it and pulled himself up before following after his symbol of hope that started walking away. There was still so much he didn't know and he couldn't get what had happened during his brain attack but for now he was with his one friend and he was on his way home. There was always time to think about later.

"Are you coming?" Axel asked casually noticing Roxas had stopped. Blinking, Roxas nodded and started walking gain while noticing that the scratches that had adorned Axels face had started to fade away.

"Yeah, I am." There was always tomorrow.

* * *

The building was vacated with military precision and efficiency that resulted in any trace of there being any kind of organization living in the building on Wilkins Street gone in less than one afternoon. Xemnas was one of the last to leave as he was supervising the procedure with his usual grace. He stood coolly in the entrance to the tunnel watching the few last pieces of equipment being carted into the trucks that waited in the underground labyrinth.

Just from looking at the silver haired man the average person would detect nothing wrong and assume that the man wasn't paying attention to anything in particular. Only a few would detect the slight grimace he wore and the anger in his eyes that threatened to explode out at any moment. He held it in with honed practice though and only a few were the wiser.

The repercussions to what happened couldn't be worse if they had tried to mess things up. He blinked to stop himself from letting his powers demolish the building. Things would have been bad if only Subject Seven had been allowed to escape but what had been truly a failure on their part was the flight of the key element to everything that had been achieved in over the decade of work. The escape of Subject Zero was going to ruin everything if they did not recover her.

Blinking again, he watched the last of the hardware carted into the truck before following into the tunnel after it. Turning around he faced the entrance to the basement of the facility. Not showing any expression, he raised his gloved hand to bring the cement wall hidden in the ceiling to come crashing down with a loud thud. Before it hit the ground workers surrounded it with buckets of fast drying cement and started to pave it up so nothing would be moving it unless the thing trying to get in had a huge load of TNT's.

Xemnas left the workers to their work and went to the jeep that was waiting for him. It was driven by Xigbar who looked to be as cocky as ever with the fluorescent lights making the grey streaks that coated his hair stand out. Without looking back at the sealed up entrance, Xemnas got into the side of the jeep and sat down looking straight ahead. The engine revved up and they were on their way to the main base in the city where they would have to try and fix the mess they were in.

* * *

I listened to the amazing song called "This is War" by 30 seconds from mars and my god it really helped with inspiration for this chapter.

So I hoped you liked it, I'm not that good with talking scenes, I'm better at the action ones and what not but I did the best I could. Hope the characters aren't to OC. I really try to keep them to their roots but oh well.

Please review and I will eat some peanutbutter and oranges while I write more.


	27. Chapter 27

Argh my back hurts. Stupid chair has no back support. Anyways, here yet another chapter of this story that is way longer than I ever was expecting. I guess you can never know how long a story will be until you start writing it.

Again thank you for all the review, I try to reply to all of them but I'm sorry if i miss yours. If you review again I will another chance of seeing it and replying. You people make it all worth while!

Anyways, I own nothing related to kingdom hearts except for the small metal keyblade "lionheart" my friend gave to me! Love you Abby!

* * *

"If you don't start moving around more than that wound is going to tighten up and be worse later." Squall said with a tinge of irritation as the person he was supporting proceeded to take his sweet ass time at making it down the staircase that was still disheveled. The blond he was helping looked as frustrated as the latter and walked with stiff movements that showed that he was still in a great deal of pain and discomfort from his injuries.

The fact that one of his brothers was missing and thought to be dead by the majority of people around him didn't help matters.

"Shut up." Cloud said bitterly. It wasn't just his wounds that were sore but his pride. First Sora had been in trouble and he hadn't been able to do anything about it but now Roxas was in the same boat and here he was half a person from the way his body was acting. If he could barely make it down a single stair without leaning on Squall how on Earth was he supposed to help his family? Glancing out the front door through a patch of glass that had no wood covering it revealed Sora and Riku sitting outside on the stairs that lead up to the hotel.

Seeing Sora in such a down trodden state was too much forcing him to look away before his heart dropped out of his open chest. The grand staircase seemed longer than usual and was taking a lot longer to get down but he refused to give up and go back to bed. Being weak and useless was never big with him so if this is what he had to do to get some exercise he was going to do it.

"Are you sure you don't want Aerith to give another look, maybe there is something more she can do?"

"She has done all she can and more." Cloud took another step to show Squall that he was ok before continuing, "Where's the Commander, I need to talk to him?"

As Squall pondered how to answer the question a few people took the time to stare at them and bear witness to their haphazard journey but for the most part they kept their glances to themselves. There was more interesting things to talk about then about the bromance between Squall and Cloud.

"He has been hiding in his room and refusing to speak to anyone. I don't know what he's up to but I've never seen him act this way." Squall sounded tired as he spoke. The stress of the situation they were in was clearly starting to show but he held it on his shoulders with grace and none but Cloud could tell the true extent of it.

"Do you think I should go talk to him?" Cloud asked stopping their journey in the midsection of the stairs.

"Maybe, if anyone can get to him you can." Squall waited for a response but saw Cloud was back to looking out the window. Making the connection, he realized Cloud wasn't talking about the Commander. "He has Riku, and he's resilient." He added to answer Clouds real question.

Cloud seemed unconvinced but he allowed Squall to start leading him down the rest of the stairs. His insides felt ripped up and mangled but he couldn't help but focus on the pain Sora was going through. He had been the one who had been with Roxas and he hadn't been able to prevent this. The sad thing was if he had saved Roxas, Sora wouldn't be with them.

It was a win lose situation with the lose and win being his brothers.

* * *

The sun had started to recede over the horizon leaving the clouds it had been passing through an array of orange and pinks that seemed to be taken from a bright and cheery children's book. The bright mood the sky expressed did not reach down through the heavens for a pair of Nobodies that sat on the staircase that led up to the hotel known as the Bastion. The Hotel was in a sorry state and had lost its luster that it had once held. It had been epitome of five star hotels but it now was merely a haven instead of a place for the aristocrats of society to visit.

Its grand staircase was still strong and stable but the scars were evident and no one seemed to care enough to fix them. Various claw marks littered the stairs and some were so huge they had ripped right through the concrete. Black stains hung out in splotches, some fresh, others faded from rain, were also evidence to the hardships the regal building had gone through.

The two Nobodies sat there in each other's arms from dawn to dusk staring straight ahead to clear their minds of the small dose of horrors they had gone through at the building known simply as Building Three to the military. They took solace in the company and knowledge that they had each other to share the experience with.

At first the atmosphere had been tense and restrained but after time the two had talked about what had happened and released the guilt they had been pent up inside of each of them. They were far from feeling forgiven about where the actions had led Roxas but they felt the fragile thing that is hope start to blossom in their hearts that maybe, just maybe, everything would work out.

"C'mon, let's go." Riku said quietly looking softly at Sora who still had his eyes trained on the expanse of road that was spread out in front of them. Riku looked out with him for a brief moment but saw the same thing he saw all day, an empty road. He extricated himself away from Sora and stretched out feeling the kinks release. It felt good to do that after sitting down all day but the feeling was hampered when he glanced down at Sora who hadn't moved or said anything since their talk.

"I'll file the report for our mission so don't worry about that." Riku stood and lingered next to Sora for a couple of seconds before turning and walking back up the steps. It hurt to leave, but he knew Sora had to be alone to heal, he had done all he could. He couldn't help him with everything no matter how much he wanted to be able to. His footsteps sounded uncomfortably loud as he made his way up the stairs and to the back where he would go get something to eat and start on the files he would have to turn into Mickey eventually.

Sora on the other hand remained where he was where Riku had left him. His light blue eyes stared almost expectantly down the street where the sun was seen setting at a steady rate. His hands gripped the step he sat on tighter as he felt his loves presence fade away until he was left alone in this dank city on basically a stoop. His brown hair drifted over his face as his gaze drifted from the street to the ground.

The shadows around him grew longer and more menacing but he couldn't go inside, not yet. Going inside would be admitting defeat and though he was smart enough to know when to call it quits he couldn't give up just yet. The whole day the part of him that had always felt Roxas' presence had been dead and empty but now he felt something there. It was small and almost not worth considering but given the fact that it went from being nothing to feeling anything was worth noticing.

The thought he might be just making it up to try and give himself hope crossed his mind but he couldn't be imagining it; it felt too real for it to be that. Peeking up through his bangs, he checked again to see if the road was still as desolate as before. It was but it wouldn't be for long if he stayed out here when the sun dipped below the ocean, then he would get to meet a lot of new friends. They would want to kill him of course but eh, it happens.

The minutes passed slowly and the shadows increased but he waited. The wind picked up and he waited. Rain started to pelt down lightly and still he waited. It got to the point that only the barest amount of sunlight still peaked through and large puddles were starting to form in the imprints the heartless attack had formed on the stairs.

He gripped the step hard one last time before standing up in a lopsided movement. His hair clung to his face and he knew that although there was still hope, no one was coming today. Sighing, he hugged himself for warmth as a brisk breeze cut into him as he turned around to face the hotel that appeared dark and empty from first glance but he knew deep within it was light and warmth. His steps were awkward and heavy from his legs being so cramped from sitting all day but he made it all the way up the stairs without mishap.

The light that he knew existed inside the building drew him forward but his legs refused to budge until he looked back one more time, just to be sure. Breathing deep, he turned around to look at the darkening street expecting the emptiness to greet him but there in the far back he saw something. It could have been just in his head but he couldn't leave now that he saw something, just the briefest glimmer was all it took for his heart to overtake his head.

Taking a step to turn back around he felt his heart squeeze with anxiety as he tried to keep breathing steadily and not hyperventilate from the emotions running through his body.

"Roxas?" He knew that golden hair any day of the week. Without waiting to tell anyone, he practically leaped over the stretch of stairs resulting in a great splash of water when he touched down to dash down the street towards his brother.

Roxas saw Sora the second the brunette started down the stairs at an all out sprint down the road towards them. Despite his wounds begging him to stop all the abuse he had inflicted against them, he gently pulled away from Axel's helpful grip and walked faster toward his welcoming brother. Axel didn't offer any resistant and watched as Roxas did his best to get to his brother a second sooner. He felt a tiny bit of jealousy but he ignored it and was happy that all his hard work had paid off, he had gotten Roxas home.

Like a scene from some cliché chick flick, Roxas and Sora smashed into each other into a rather jarring hug that caused them to swing around a bit as they grasped at one another to make sure the other one was real. The evidence that the two were twins was often hard to find with people pointing out the vast difference in their personalities and looks. But in the rain where their hair color was washed out and their personalities were hidden from view, the sense that they were twins had never been so obvious.

Two young men became little kids that had found each other after a scary expedition that had gone so wrong. Pulling apart they laughed at the happiness they never thought they would get to feel again before hugging tightly again.

"Hey Dorky Dork." Roxas said quietly.

"It's good to see you Loser." Sora said with his voice muffled from his face being shoved into Roxas' shoulder; luckily it was the uninjured one. They hugged tightly communicating in that special way twins do of their happiness of finding one another. It was only a strong hand that was placed on their shoulders that alerted them to the growing danger they were in as the sun ignored their happy reunion and continued to set turning the orange and pink sky to a black and blue.

Roxas pulled back and slinked an arm around Sora's shoulder to lean on him as they started forward. His eyes crinkled and his smile shown bright and clear in a rare moment of happiness. Sora returned the expression back times ten in intensity with his face practically glowing. They made their way slowly through the growing rain with Axel following closely behind watching out for signs of danger that could possible pop up at any second in the dimming light. Roxas to in his moment of bliss instinctively did the same but let himself get dragged up to the long staircase where he paused when Sora started up it.

"What's wrong…?" Sora started but then stopped when Roxas cut him off.

"I don't know if I can make it up the stairs," Roxas sighed, "Even with your help." Roxas stared into Sora's blue abysses trying to read his brothers reaction in the dim light. The stairs wouldn't have been a problem but the staircase up to the hotel was long and at parts steep. He and Axel had been walking all day and now he was starting to regret passing on the piggyback ride so far into the beginning. Now he was showing weakness in front of his brother that he had hoped to hide for a while in the dark.

"Always making mountains out of mole hills, that's your problem Roxas." Axel said with a cheeky tone. He swept Roxas off his feet and proceeded up the stairs despite the groans of protest that the move elicited from Roxas. Sora laughed and that quieted Roxas down feeling good that at least he made his brother happy, unintentionally but oh well. They made it up past the dead tree, and onto solid ground where Axel let Roxas gently down to the ground. Roxas felt his heart rate return to normal but it wasn't from embarrassment that made it quicken in the first place. As he watched Sora pass him to lead onward with a huge grin on his face he decided not to think about it till later.

They traveled around to the back of the building while Roxas asked his question that had been nagging him.

"Is Cloud ok?"

"For the most part yeah, but he still is recovering and is just starting to be able to walk around." Roxas could tell Sora wanted to ask something more but Sora said nothing more after answering his question. They made it to the back just as the sun was disappearing and the rain just becoming to come down harder. The door was found with relative ease they entered the building's basement after signaling to the camera who they were. In the darkness Roxas felt Sora relax and seemed to gain courage from not being able to see.

"Roxas," Sora began.

"Yeah?" Roxas felt the seriousness of Sora's voice wash over him as they halted in their steps.

"Can you ever forgive me?" Roxas couldn't see in the darkness of the room but he knew from that tone of voice that he had heard so often as a child that Sora was close to tears. He felt his features soften and slipped into the role of being the protective twin without thinking. "If it wasn't for me you never would have been in that building and I just," He was cut off by Roxas shaking him slightly.

"There's nothing to forgive. Now c'mon, we need to let Cloud know we're back." Roxas did his best to walk forward past his brother with great strength and it worked for a while until his limp returned. Sora came up behind him and took his arm and put it around his shoulder to help him walk but said nothing more and in the dark he couldn't see his expression.

As they continued through the hotels basement it was only due to Sora's knowledge of where the defense structures were that saved Roxas from bumping into them. They made it through without incident and exited into the next room that happened to be the commons room. It was a place where a specific few people from the defense faction hung out during the night in case there was trouble.

They were strewn about in the area playing cards or chatting lightly to keep the shadows of fear out of their minds while their weapons rested silently by them at the ready. They were on duty but there rarely was any trouble so they had to pass the time somehow, at least that's what they told the other factions. Sora walked forward dragging the stunned Roxas along with him as he took in the normalcy of the room. The people looked up and the chatter quieted down as they saw the three people walk through the middle of the room ignoring their stares.

"Don't mind us, just passing through." Axel said breaking the silence with a casual grin daring anyone to say anything about their entrance and quick exit. No one said a word though as they weaved their way through the tables and blankets strewn about. Roxas felt him grown hot from the stares but kept looking straight ahead even when he heard someone gasp from the sight of him up close. They made it to the other side and exited to continue on to where Cloud was.

The door double door clicked behind them and they heard no one speak but it wasn't until they gone did the people start talking about what had just happened and the new gossip it could mean.

"Has anything new happened while we were gone?" Axel asked calmly as if his venture away had been nothing more than to get milk.

"I know they have been repairing the building and the new gossip is that Yuna is sleeping with someone from the defense faction but that's it." Sora answered. His voice sounded a bit squeaky but for the most part he was holding up under the emotional strain that he had gone through mere moments ago. Roxas could tell that he was dying to ask what had happened to him and how he had gotten out but Roxas preferred he told Sora and Cloud at once.

Ignoring the look Sora was shoot at him through the corner of his eye, Roxas saw the bits of the destruction the Heartless had left that no one had repaired as of yet. There were scores of claw marks and splashes of blackness but he could tell that they were remnants and that the biggest problems had been taken care of especially since this was one of the least traveled parts of the hotel. They made it to the stairwell without an event where Sora looked back apologetically.

"He's in the clinic, there's no other way up." Without waiting for Roxas to respond, Sora took pulled away from Roxas and looked at Axel knowing that he couldn't do what was needed.

"Say no more." Roxas turned around just enough to see Axel come up behind him before he was picked up and brought along like a child up the stairs. He fingered the cloak he was wearing that he was still borrowing from Axel due to having no shirt to call his own. As they climbed the stairs he looked everywhere but at the grinning man who was carrying him. Sora walked slowly up the stairs following the pace Axel had taken for he took his time maneuvering up them holding Roxas with care not to jostle him.

Roxas glanced up at Axel who was currently smirking down at him as he turned a corner to take on the next set of stairs. Roxas smiled back awkwardly feeling his face grow hot before he looked away again. Sora said nothing as they walked up, being uncharacteristically quiet which worried Roxas. They made it up the stairs without trouble and at the fifth floor the exited the stairwell and entered the hallway that would lead them to where Cloud was at. Axel again let Roxas down so he could walk.

"By the time we get there I'm going to have developed back problems." Axel said leaning back cracking his back. Roxas rolled his eyes and started forward unaided determined to meet Cloud without help. Sora walked by him though just in case there was a mishap and Roxas appreciated the gesture.

A few people were up and about in the hallways and shot them weird looks as they passed by. A few stopped as if to say something but Axel shot them no nonsense glares which sent everyone but one walking away. The one odd bird out was Demyx who scampered up to them when he saw them down the hallway. His first thought that crossed his mind spilled out of his mouth before he could bottle it up.

"I thought you guys were dead!" He said as he looked at Axel and Roxas ignoring Sora for the most part who stood dazed at his sudden arrival on the side. "I'm glad I didn't join the betting pools."

"Really Demyx, really?" Was all Axel could say as he, Roxas and Sora took in what Demyx had said. Shaking his head, Axel put a hand on Demyx's shoulder and pushed him to the side and into the wall a tad roughly allowing Roxas and Sora to get by.

"Oh C'mon, it's not like I said I was hoping you guys were dead." Demyx said in his defense. Axel kept his hand where it was and slowly turned to face the sweating sitar player. "Please don't be mad. It's been over a week so you can't be angry that I'm talking to you." Axel remained where he was looking at Demyx with a frown. Demyx licked his lips before continuing, "I'll just be going now."

And with that Demyx slinked out from Axels hand and walked quickly down the hall, probably to go console himself with his Sitar. Roxas and Sora stared back at what had just occurred with blank faces as Axel clapped his hands together.

"Alright, where were we at?" Axel said as he turned back around from facing the fleeing man. Without waiting for a reply he walked up and planted his hands on Roxas' and Sora's backs propelling them down the hall towards Aeriths office. With Axel giving them the shove they needed to the brothers made their way to the door that was open just a crack showing the light that was on and the bit of evidence that someone was in there.

Even though he had no need to be, Roxas felt nervous as they approached the door. But Axel's presence gave him the courage he needed to push open the door and enter to see Aerith humming a small tune and putting different medicine away in a cabinet that she probably had just acquired from a raid at a local hospital. Roxas' view shifted from her to Cloud who was sitting on one of the five cots that littered the room crowded together. He looked so downcast it took a moment for him to register the new visitors that had arrived. Instead it was Aerith who voiced their arrival once she twirled around at the noise.

"Oh Roxas!" She exclaimed putting her hands over her mouth before taking a few quick steps forward and hugging Roxas tightly. Roxas' eyes widened at the display of happiness Aerith showed without hesitation. She pulled back and said, "And Axel!" and then promptly hugged him as well. Axel took the hug better than the shocked Roxas and hugged back with a grin his face.

Cloud looked like he didn't believe what was going on in front of his very eyes.

"Hi Cloud." Roxas said smiling.

* * *

"The Wood Crows have been reported to rushing the south bridge in an attempt to get out sir." A military cadet reported. Sephiroth nodded taking the information in; there had been a lot of information that he had to take in recently. "They were taken care of course but we made sure to make an example out of a few and released them back to tell their comrades of what occurred."

"Thank you Guy, tell the corporals in that district they will be hearing about a promotion if they keep this up." Then with a wave of his hand, he dismissed the troops from the training area. They filed out in an orderly fashion except Guy who remained where he was. He saluted smartly and stood up straight before he dared to say the next thing he was told to report on.

"Sir, I was also instructed to make sure you heard about the recent attack on Building Three in the Blacklight District."

Sephiroth blinked slowly and eyed the cadet looking very much like he wanted to cut the man down where he stood rigidly straight with his hand still at a stiff salute. Guy tried to fight back his fear for that was a quick way to get Sephiroth pissed off but he couldn't halt the shivers that made their way down his spine as silence enveloped the room.

"You can tell Xehanort that I am not completely ignorant of what is occurring inside this city." Before Guy could blink, Sephiroth held his Masamune in his hand with his finger trailing along the sharp edge while he continued talking. "Now I gave you an order," His eyes shifted up to meet Guys wide ones. "Unless you would like a practice session with me?"

"N-n-no sir. I will be on my way." He caught control of his tongue before he could stutter himself into oblivion. With less than fluid movements, he did another quick salute before turning tail and walking as fast as he could out of the gym. Once he was out into the hallway he picked up whatever grace he had left and walked by his snickering comrades.

Sephiroth though remained standing in the gym still testing the sharpness his blade that never seemed to go dull no matter how many Nobodies and Heartless he cut down with it. And there would be more he would cut down with it to be sure especially a certain former student of his. The legendary Subject Seven was on everyone lips. The new of his almost unexplainable escape just ended up adding to the growing fire of interest surrounding him. His existence had only been recently leaked and in the past had been known only among the higher ups.

Wincing briefly, Sephiroth released his blade to oblivion and brought up his gloved hand up to see the small cut that had formed. The blade had nicked his skin slightly resulting in pitch black blood to bubble up and flow lazily down his hand. He glared at with an intense hatred, before wiping the disgraceful liquid on his pants that were luckily black as well.

His single wing extended out as stared at the ceiling, his nostrils flared, and upper lip shaking a bit to bare his teeth. Using all his willpower he forced his one wing down back onto his back and tightened his hands into fists. His eyes became low and dangerous and if anyone had entered the room Sephiroth would have killed them without a second thought.

Cracking his neck he left the room and walked down the busy hallway, people cleared a path instantly feeling the anger radiating off of him, and made his way to greet Xemnas to find out what exactly went so wrong at that building once he had left.

* * *

Sorry for the lack of action but sometimes a chapter has to be nice and mellow in order to make the chapters that have action all that more special.

I know it has been a bit slow but just bare with me, it is about to get crazy with action and Akuroku. Hopefully it was worth the wait.


	28. Chapter 28

This chapter did not take nearly as long as I expected so that was awesome.

I hope you guys all like it and I'm sorry for the length, kind of got away from me near the end.

So I don't own any thing related to kingdom hearts, nor final fantasy ect.

* * *

The city lay out before him in a glorious display as the first rays of light touched the land with its warmth. Roxas saw it all as he sat up on the headquarters roof with his wings spread out behind him to soak in as much light as they could. Sora and Cloud had recovered enough to return to their normal routines and were busy with that at the current moment so Roxas had some free time to call his own. Call him selfish and weird that after all the time he had taken to find his family he was now enjoying time away from them but that was how he was. He was a solitary person by nature but that didn't mean he didn't like hanging out with his brothers, it just meant he didn't like hanging out with them constantly. For now being in the same building with them and knowing they were safe was enough to ease his soul and allow him to enjoy the morning.

His wounds had been healed as by Aerith and his fast regeneration had done the rest leaving just a few cuts and everything else as white scars. They joined the others he had collected to form a map on his body of the pain he had endured but luckily they were for the most part covered up by his clothes. His shoulder still ached something fierce but the muscle was whole and the same went for his abdomen. That scar had been particularly impressive and actually made him pause and whistle when he first saw it.

The stain on the left side of his face still remained no matter how hard he had scrubbed at it. Now it just served as a dark reminder of what could hit at any time without warning but for now he chose not to think about it. What he couldn't dismiss from his mind was the vision that had struck him during the time of that brain seizure. That girl had haunted his dreams during his brief night sleep and it didn't look like he was going to forget about it any time soon.

Another thing he couldn't just skim over was the fact that whenever Axel looked at him he felt butterflies in his stomach. Axel had become a somewhat symbol of hope and protection to him and the friendship that Axel had offered so unconditionally to him made him smile whenever he thought about it.

Roxas leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees as his legs dangled over the edge. The sad fact was that even though the future of this city was in the lurch and there was something going wrong with his head, he still was wondering if Axel was thinking about him. Now that the most important matters had been taken care of, aka his brothers, he felt his mind was free of a colossal worry that had been hanging over his head since the day he decided that "hey, I want to go to the park."

And now that that was gone he found it was hard to control where his thoughts wandered in the off hours. He was trying to focus on how he would attempt to locate the roof that he had seen in that vision but he was having a difficult time trying to keep Axel from wandering into his thoughts. He would be thinking about different strategies on how he could cover the city when Axel would stroll in and be all Axel in his head and make his palms sweat. Why did the man have to capture his thoughts in such a way? No one had ever gotten him under his skin in such a way before.

He ran a hand through his rare clean hair pull at his new sweatshirt absentmindedly. It took a while to wearing new clothes and that period of time always seemed to annoy him. That combined with his frustrated thoughts did not bode well for him.

"This is just what I need at the moment to, the fear my brain is going to boil over and the fact that I have a crush on my best friend...who is a guy!" Roxas whispered to himself as he laid his head in his hands.

"There I said it," He paused for a second as what he said out loud took effect, "And now I'm talking to myself. I'm more messed up than I originally thought, didn't need anyone to help me in that department." Roxas said thinking of what they had done to him without it his knowledge at the institute. Rubbing at his eyes he picked himself off the ground enjoying the sensation of no pain. He let his wings extend to their full amount as he made the last few adjustments to his plan. This was one of the few days off that he would get off and he wasn't going to waste it.

"Whatcha doing Roxie?" A voice called lazily from the rooftop door.

"Uhh…"Roxas trailed off as he turned around, he was so flabbergasted at getting caught on the roof he didn't even notice the use of a new nickname. The problem with his explanation with why he was really on the roof was that he hadn't told anyone, not even Axel about what he had seen and he wasn't going to start now. He didn't need to have anyone think he was going crazier than he already was.

"I…was just going to go practice flying." He gave himself a small high-five in his head with his quick thinking in front of Axel who gave him a small speculative look.

"Is that safe to try being so high up?" Axel asked walked up beside him, careful to mind the wings. He peered over the edge, "You do know you are currently standing on one of the highest skyscrapers in the city right?"

"Umm, yes, yes I do." Roxas said scrambling for words, he had come up here to scout for the building but Axel didn't know that and he couldn't back down now. "But the first time I flew was from this roof so I thought it would be…taking with tradition?"

"Wait a second;" He put his hands up to stop Roxas. "You already know how to fly?"

"Yeah, a bit." Was all Roxas could mumble out as Axel stared at him questioning with those damn eyes that made his back shiver.

"And you learned from this roof? How?" Roxas hadn't had time to tell Axel, or anyone for that matter, what had happened to him between the attack on the hotel to where they were now. There had never been a good time and Roxas didn't really want to talk about it in all that detail. He was still trying to process it for himself.

Trying to think of a good way to phrase it he said, "I was pushed and then I flew. It was like something out of national geographic really." Roxas stammered out, and this time there was no high fiving in his head after seen the look Axel shot him. He rubbed his neck out of self confidence as Axel walked closer to him with an intense look on his face.

"You know because baby birds get pushed out their nests to learn how to fly…"Roxas trailed off laughing softly trying to lighten the mood.

"You were pushed off?" Axel stared at him in disbelief before rubbing his face with his hands. "I didn't want to butt in but I can't help it. What happened between the time you disappeared up those stairs to me finding you."

"Well…" Roxas was buying for time; he didn't know what to say. Last night he had told Cloud and Sora the barest amounts, just enough to sate their curiosity but not enough to fuel any fear. He thought he would have had to talk to the Commander but apparently he was holed up in his office refusing to speak to anyone. He knew he was going to have to give Axel some sort of explanation but he had hoped it would have been later rather than sooner.

"Roxas, please."

Roxas rounded on Axel and said "I got pushed off the roof, flew, and then crashed. Then I got found by the Blue Moons, helped them break into the building that I that held Sora. Got him out along with Riku, bought them time by threatening to kill myself and then got stuck in the building until you found me where I promptly tried to kill you." Roxas breathed out heavily, "You happy now?"

Axel bit his lower lip to prevent himself from saying no. "Look, I just…"

"No, that's it." Roxas was tired of thinking about it and he felt his old closed up self return fast giving him the strength to say no. He didn't want to have to go through and explain everything in detail. "I'll tell you more later but until then I just need to think on it by myself." He heard Axel blow out a gust of air in what he guessed was in exasperation but he chose not to comment on it.

Axel held up his hands in defeat, "Alright but Roxas, I'm here for you if you want to talk. You know that right?"

"Yeah I know." Roxas said smiling letting his institute self go. He was glad that they hadn't had a fight over it but he could still feel the undercurrents of it around which meant they would have it again. But now that it wasn't a threat he couldn't help but feel the butterflies return to his stomach now that Axel was near him being, well, him. Trying to control his heart, which seemed to have a mind of its own as it thundered in his chest, he walked forward to the edge and peered over.

"You're not really going to practice flying from all the way up here are you?" Axel asked as he lowered his butt down on the ledge and peered up at Roxas.

"I am, but don't worry." Roxas tried to make a reassuring smile but he didn't know if it worked out or not. "I survived falling off so when I get the choice to jump off I think I will be ok." At least he hoped, but he couldn't back down now. Besides, he could try out some new moves he had been thinking about ever since he had found out he would be sprouting wings.

Axel looked back out on the drop below him before saying, "Alright, I'll watch. I got to say I'm a bit jealous if you really can fly and are not just falling at the slowest possible rate." Axel leaned back with his arms outstretched behind him to support himself with a smirk on his face. Roxas noted that the scratches that had been their previously were now gone.

"Well, here I go." Roxas said unenthusiastically, with Axel watching he wouldn't be able to go track down that building without him becoming suspicious. He probably expected for him to fly around the building. Running a hand down his face he walked up to the edge near Axel and extended his wings once more.

He backed up away from the edge causing Axel to turn his head in confusion of where Roxas' actions were going. "Aren't you going to practice?"

Roxas just smirked as he backed up further and turned around as if to leave. Breathing in deep he walked forward until he reached the spot that felt right. Once there, he whirled back towards Axel and sprinted towards the edge with his wings now half way out. He briefly saw Axel make an astonished face before he jumped off the edge.

Immediately the wind filled his sweat-shirt causing it to whip about as if it had a mind of its own while his hair did the same as the wind tore its fingers through it wildly. He felt his eyes water for he kept his eyes open to gaze around him at the world passing by him as he fell through the open air. The feeling of freefalling had always fascinated him so he enjoyed it for a bit. His wings longed to open up but he knew that instinct would be sated soon as the windows of the hotel rushed past him with a few holding dumbfounded Nobodies in them.

Roxas grinned wildly as he dived through the air with his wings angled just right to let him twirl through the wind. Seeing the surrounding buildings becoming too big for comfort, Roxas finally relented and opened his wings slowly to allow the air to fill them before snapping wide open and pushing down hard to start rising instead of falling. His feathers worked in unison attached to the strong muscles that held his wings in place against the onslaught of wind that tore through them.

The thoughts of finding the roof in his dreams fled his mind for the time being as the joy of flight circulated through him. His lungs expanded and depressed to full capacity as his heart beat his rushing blood throughout his modified body, he had been made for this.

"Now this is what I call fun." Roxas thought briefly before soaring upwards. He passed the height of the hotel in mere seconds and didn't stop beating his wings until he was cruising just under the clouds that hung overhead thick and full from the unshed rain they were still holding.

Reaching a hand up, he let it trail though the white mist cutting through it. Curiosity overcoming his common sense, he angled upwards and dove into the cloud. The first thing he thought that it was a lot wetter than he had expected and it only took him a few seconds to realize he didn't like the feeling one bit as he was soon coated in water. Letting his wings relax as much as they could, he flew lazily on a downdraft as it guided him back out into the open air.

The exhilaration cleared up enough for Roxas to realize he still didn't know what he was going to do to get away from Axel. A brief look down revealed that Axel was still on the roof though Roxas couldn't tell if he was watching.

"Oh god, what if he is watching!" Suddenly Roxas became very self conscious. It was partly due to this fact that he didn't notice the sound of the wind whipping up around him viciously as the air currents shifted from the different air pressures that lingered from after the rain.

Feeling self conscious he did a final spin around before starting to head back to the roof that held his friend that was driving crazy. Maybe he could try and see if he could get in touch with the Commander and then sneak out later. He was close enough to the roof to see Axel's familiar grin when he entered the danger zone that held the dangerous air currents that swept him up almost immediately.

The first blow was when a gust of wind blew directly into his side catching the underside of his right wing and sent him blustering through the air as he fought to differentiate up from down. He thought he heard someone yell out his name but he wasn't sure for his wings were now facing the cruel reality that the wind posed as it didn't relent in its onslaught against them and instead seemed to pick up in its ferocity.

Trying not panic the remaining control he had in the situation, Roxas reoriented himself just as he passed the hotels roof during a calm period with the wind. But before he could blink another wind rocked into him creating the problem anew. His wings quickly became more of a hindrance than a plus as the wind pushed them open and flung him about with its invisible fingers so in result as well as flying he was being tossed around in the process.

"Damnit!" His curse was ripped away from him as soon as it left his mouth to fall on deaf ears. "I'm not dying like this!" Roxas yelled in protest as he fought to figure out where he was at in the air.

The earth was coming uncomfortably close but Roxas was still tumbling through the air without any way to control himself. It was only when he started to fall between the lower buildings did the wind finally get blocked. His wings became free from the harassment of the wind which allowed him to turn over and fall stomach first. Immediately he released his wings to catch the air which the air was all too happy to fill. It felt like his wings got pulled out their sockets from the violent opening but there was nothing else that could be done.

Slowly he leveled out but the ground was still rushing upon him fast. He winced outwardly expecting to run into the pavement at any second but his wings kept him aloft mere inches from the road he was currently cruising down at over fifteen mph. Careful not to hit anything, he flapped his wings hard enough to gain height as the exhilaration of escaping death one more time filled him causing a small buzzing to fill his ears.

Anger filled his veins causing him not to think as he shot back up flapping hard to do battle with the winds. Once more the wind blew into him but he was ready for it. This time he rode with the wind letting it push him around but still having control as he danced between air currents. His wings hardly had to do any work as he glided with the wind and not against it. In result it pushed him high among the city until he could see almost from one side of the city to another making him gasp in wonderment.

"Oh Axel, I wish you could see this."

And then he realized, at this height he could find the building from his dream easily if he just matched it up with the view of the city that had taken his breath away. Not caring if Axel saw him or not he let go. He fell through the air gliding among the wind as he circled the city looking at the skyscrapers that overlooked the city and then he spotted it. Quickly he made a course to it fighting the wind to get through to it where he landed roughly in his haste.

This was the roof, the roof in his dreams.

As he stood the images of the dreams overlade his vision as the girl in white seemed to appear before him. She mouthed the same words before falling off but this time Roxas didn't move or say anything. Not waiting for him to question his sanity, Roxas sprang into action and ran over to the spot where she had supposedly fallen.

"Was she really here, is she even real?" Roxas wondered to himself as he searched for any clues. "There has to be something here that proves she is real and if not then she isn't real and I am just going crazy." But then as he bent down to investigate the ledge for scratches or footprints he saw something etched into the base and at the moment he saw it he realized what she had mouthed to him.

"Find me, Roxas."

* * *

"Roxas!" Axel yelled as he saw his Roxas buffeted through the air in front of him. It soon became apparent that Roxas was unable to do anything about it either as his body flailed in the wind as he fought against it. The feeling of utter helplessness that engulfed Axel the minute he saw Roxas lose control sent him over the edge. And yet, there was NOTHING he could do about it.

He watched, powerless, as Roxas almost gained control back before the wind took it right back. It was until he saw Roxas plummet between the far buildings that his fear overtook him again.

"NO!" The buildings blocked his view stopping him from seeing the fate of his Roxas. "I only just got you back you Bastard!" It was out of frustration that caused Axel to yell this part. It hurt enough knowing he could never have him but not having him around would be unbearable after having him around for so long that caused the attachment in the first place.

The seconds passed painfully as he waited for any sign that Roxas was ok when he saw a form shoot up in the air. Axel clutched at his chest as the relief caused his heart lurch. He sat back down on the roof and rested his head in his hands trying to gain control back to his limbs that now felt like jelly.

This was harder than he thought it would be. Axel had always been a planner, or schemer as most people would call it back in the old days, always sure he would get his way and be the one to survive in the end but now everything had changed. This was the first time in a long time he actually cared whether or not someone else lived and was ok.

"You've gone soft Axel." He thought as he looked up to see how Roxas was doing. The problem was there was nothing in sight except for a few birds flying in a v over head. Axel just hung his head and waited for Roxas to show up and hoped that he was ok.

* * *

Roxas stumbled back from the scrawled etchings on the edge of the skyscraper that read the words the girl in white had mouthed to him. His name was there, right there immortalized in concrete. The déjà vu that flooded his senses made him almost swear he could hear the girl whisper the words in his ears. It seemed so really he flinched and looked away half expecting the girl to be there next to him with her face half hidden by her incredibly pale blond hair and her blue eyes piercing into his own.

Feeling overwhelmed by what was happened he wiped his hair out of his face as his wings reflected his emotions by opening up ready to take flight. The girl wanted him to find her, that much was clear but who was she, and why would she contact him of all people. He was the worst possible candidate to find her with all the other shit on his plate and now he had to add this onto it.

"This would happen to me." Roxas pinched the bridge of his nose as he paced on the roof to settle his nerves. "Why me?" And all the while the etching stared at him. He halted in his pacing and glared at the words that had just made his world so much more complicated.

Biting his lip, he forced his head away and walked up to the roof and promptly jumped off and away from the words. The air picked him up instantly and pushed him into the sky. He didn't head back to the hotel right away though. High in the air his eyes picked out the building right away and dropped toward it without thinking.

His hair whipped into this face as he plummeted toward the one other building that was known as Hell to him. Roxas reached with time to spare and settled on a roof across from the building that he felt drawn to ever since seeing that girl. It looked as empty as always but this time it held no malevolence. It was just an empty deserted building in the middle of a city that was under lockdown.

"Why did I come here?" Roxas jumped off the building he was on and slowly glided to the ground as the thoughts filled his head. Before he hit the ground he started walking toward the vacant operation center. He stopped short of entering it though; no matter the pull he felt forward he couldn't bring himself to enter. That didn't seem to matter for a wash of pictures fill his brain that dictated the same girl walking out of the same building but it was on fire and signs of an attack were everywhere.

They ended abruptly and it was until he took in a haggard breath that Roxas realized he had been holding his breath. Roxas took a step back and turned suddenly before taking off into the sky, this time towards the hotel.

"What am I supposed to do now…?" Telling Cloud and Sora crossed his mind but there was no way he would burden them with this knowledge after they had so much on their plate. The Commander was up next who seemed like the perfect candidate but the problem was Roxas heard he was still locked up in his office and Roxas didn't trust him completely. The only one left was Axel and even that was a risky proposition. But that was his only option left and if that fell through he would just have to sit on this alone.

Soaring through the sky with the wind was amazing as usual but the lump in his stomach took away some of the thrill. In no time he saw the hotels roof and he banked down toward it where he saw Axel still on the rim twiddling his thumbs.

He landed roughly on the roof due to not having slowed down enough beforehand. But before he came to a complete stop he was swept into a bone crushing hug courtesy of Axel.

"Shit Roxas, be more careful next time." Axel pulled back and after a moment of hesitation smashed his hand down on Roxas' head and roughed up the hair in a friendly sort of way. Roxas just stared at him with a confused look before pushing the hand away off his head before he broke out in a blush. Taking a step back he readied himself for an awkward moment to ensue where he told a crazy tale and then hoped to God his best friend didn't walk away.

"I need to tell you something." Axel cocked his head as Roxas started.

He listened intently as Roxas rushed through what he had to say. Roxas knew it didn't sound believable but if anyone would believe him it would be Axel, or this is what he was currently betting on. If this fell through he wasn't sure what he would do but he wouldn't give up. His name had been sketched into a skyscrapers roof, which had to mean something.

Once finished Roxas waited impatiently for Axels' reaction but he seemed to lack the words. It took a moment of awkward silence for Axel to respond to the craziness Roxas knew he was spouting.

So, what you're telling me is some girl contacted you in your dreams and told you to find her?" Roxas nodded not letting his nervousness show and instead stood straight with unblinking eyes that meant business. "Ok just as long as I got that straight. Then you told me you found an etching on the hotel from your vision that said what she told you and then you went back to that building, which I think was a particular inspired idiot moment on your part, and saw her again leaving that building?"

"Do you believe me or not?" Roxas had to know whether or not, he had no time for niceties now.

Axel didn't answer right away and seemed to be contemplating what Roxas had told him. "You have to admit this is quite a long shot but yes I do, I see no reason why you would lie about it." Axel explained, "But what do you gain by telling me?"

Roxas didn't back down and instead remained gazing back into Axels' eyes. "I told you because you are one of the few people that I can trust." It was the blunt truth, sure he could trust his brothers but Axel was a different kind of trust, it was one created of experience and not family ties and that seemed more valuable. Cloud and Sora seemed to have more ties to the Commander while Axel seemed to be free of those which Roxas needed.

"Alright Roxas, if you came to me for advice than this is what I have to say, you don't have enough information to go searching for this girl. Give it a couple of days and then we will reassess but until then don't do anything rash." Axel gave him a long hard look hoping that Roxas understood what he was saying.

"Don't worry, I'm still just trying to understand what is going on in my brain to go hunt down some girl." For a brief moment Roxas let his mask slip and reveal just how tired he was but it was gone a moment later when he said "And Roxie, really?"

"Yeah, I think it suits you well. Don't you think so?" Axel said winking feeling the mood lighten but not the worry that was instilled in his heart. It took all of Roxas' willpower not let his mouth drop open and rolled his eyes instead. Feeling Axels' eyes on him, Roxas walked back up to the edge and turned around to face his friend.

"And to think I was going to offer you a ride down. Guess you are going to have to get a tad more exercise now." Roxas smirked and silently laughed at Axels' expression of disbelief to this statement.

"Wait a second. What do you mean "A ride down"?" In response Roxas just shook his head and shrugged not letting on what he meant. It would have been interesting to see if it would have worked out but for now it would have to remain a mystery.

"I need to go talk to Sora but I hope to see you sometime again today." Then with a quick salute, Roxas tipped over the edge of the roof and fell. Mere seconds later he saw Axel peak his head over and yell.

"I'll hold you to that!" Roxas just laughed and turned over so he was falling face first before opening his wings and gliding to the ground outside the hotel. As he fell the plan for the rest of the day formed haphazardly in his head. He needed to try and find the Commander to report what happened, he didn't necessarily like the man but he did have his duty if he wanted to stay here. If he couldn't contact him then Cloud would be his next best bet.

Roxas landed as gracefully as a Nobody with wings could and walked to the back and entered the building. On his way to the main hall he heard snippets of conversations float his way from a duo walking in front of him from the defense faction.

"Have you heard whether or not Cloud is back on his feet?" A black man asked with a small green hat sitting lopsided on his head.

"I saw him walking outside in the practice area with Squall. It was a close call but I'm glad to know he's ok." A shorter white man replied with a blue beret on his head. His voice was incredibly squeaky making it hard for Roxas to make it out. "I'm more interested in what happened to Sora; apparently his brother tracked him down and busted him out of a military building.

"Gawrsh really, I thought Cloud was to beat up to do that." The taller said with surprise in his voice.

"No you idiot, the other brother that resurfaced recently, the ones with the wings and recently got back with Axel. Have you not listened to gossip at all?"

"You mean the guy right behind us Donald?" With that the short man turned around and made a "oh crap face" before putting his hand on his friends back and pushing his forward faster down the hallway.

"I just remembered we have our meeting in five minutes. We better hurry up." They turned into the next corner they came across and left Roxas alone in the hallway. He didn't really know what to think about the conversation that just happened in front of him and didn't know if he wanted to. The next people he came upon he actually recognized from his two days of training with the operations faction. They were part of the defense faction as well, it was the biggest faction out of all of them, and they were Josef and Maria. They waved casually at Roxas and signaled him over with the flick of their heads like he was some sort of dog.

Roxas slowed down and approached them feeling a bit angry at the way they acknowledged him but was interrupted form his thoughts by Josef, "I just heard that you made it back, you doing ok?" His voice was full and strong which complimented his attire quite nicely with his green cloak tied around his neck obscuring most of the rest of his attire.

"Axel was quite the sleuth tracking you down; I haven't seen him get this attached to anyone." Maria commented quietly behind him with her dark grey hair cascading down her back elegantly. She was one of the few people in the defense faction that had no weapon she could call to her hand and instead wielded an assault rifle with deadly accuracy that was currently slung across her back.

Roxas stared at them skeptically wondering where this conversation was going, "Does this have a point?" He didn't have all day and Roxas didn't like interacting with people he didn't know that well. Old habits die hard and this was one of those that refused to die, not that Roxas was trying to break it.

Maria nudged Josef roughly prompting him to explain, "Look this is just gossip but we figured we owed it to you to tell you seeing that you saved Sora and all. People are saying that when they pass by Mickey office they can hear him muttering stuff, like weird stuff. They also say the one thing they hear the most is your name." Roxas couldn't help but make a face at this. "Like I said, it's just gossip. Whenever I pass by all I hear is him tearing around and muttering things I can't make out. We just thought you should know." Josef shrugged finishing up his statement.

"We have to go report for duty. But it was nice seeing that you were ok." Maria said pulling Josef along with her assault rifle bouncing up and down from the sudden movements. Roxas watched them leave, thoughts of going to talk to Sora fleeing from his mind. Instead he tried to figure out if it could be true as he walked away from the receding figures and entered the grand hall. It was filled with various people he recognized but for the majority he had no clue who they were from Adam.

He filed past them, careful to keep his wings close. When that didn't stop the stares from tracking him he took note to maybe start hiding his wings under his sweatshirt again. He made it through without incident and was able to make it in and out of there quickly. Walking fast he made it to the stairwell and ran up the stairs careful not to run into the people coming down. Sadly one of his wings did not understand this concept and accidently jutted out enough to wack a girl in the face that was heading down.

"Hey!" The red headed girl yelled in annoyance and glared at Roxas her chin jutting out ready to start a fight. Her friend pulled her away telling her to shut up though so all was well. Roxas just ran faster and tucked his wings in farther until he reached the floor that held Mickey's office. Right away he noticed the increase of people on the floor that seemed to be loitering outside of the Commanders office with interested expressions and the occasional word passed around.

Roxas stepped back into the stairwell for a brief second, checked if the coast was clear and attempted to pull his sweatshirt off. Sadly his wings decided to become difficult and caught on the newly made slits. This all in all created a very awkward moment.

"Oh crap." The utter stupidness of the situation tempted him to just cut off his sweatshirt and be done with it until he heard an all too familiar chuckle float down to him. He lowered his head in shame as the heavy footfalls rang louder with each passing second.

"Man Roxie, you always seem to get into the weirdest of trouble don't you?"

"Shut up and just help me!" Roxas practically snarled but he felt embarrassed about how he was trapped in his sweatshirt. Axel just continued to chuckle as he took the last few steps down and walked up to Roxas to untangle him from the clothing article. Roxas, once free, grabbed it back as Axel dangled it in front of him and pulled it back on, this time covering his wings.

"Why are you covering them up?" Axel seemed confused by this series of actions Roxas had partaken in.

"I don't need the stares right now." Roxas finished adjusting his sweatshirt and only the barest of bumps were visible on his back. He had gotten used to holding them in tight but it was still uncomfortable as all get out and once this was done he was going to head back to his room and let them out as much as he wanted.

"Why?" Axel inquired; Roxas noted his confused tone but didn't comment on it.

I'm going to go try and talk to the Commander." Roxas didn't wait for Axel's reaction as he left the stairwell and started down to the group huddled around the Commanders door. He pushed through not caring about the noises of protest that started up and went directly to the door where he could hear the barest of rustling sounds coming from. Without waiting for his courage to die down, he rapped his knuckle against the wooden door.

"Commander, its Roxas. I need to talk to you." Immediately the rustling died down and devolved into the sound of heavy footfalls. The door slammed open to reveal Mickey leering over him with disbelief etched into every crevice on his face. His beard was unshaven and scraggly and his eyes were wide and searching completely ignoring all the people around except for Roxas.

"How are you still alive?" Mickey's voice sounded desperate and unhinged as he reached out his hands and grasped Roxas' shoulder and shook him slightly. Roxas pulled away from the grip but Mickey held firmly asking again, "How are you still alive?"

"Commander," Axel said roughly with fire in his eyes and pulled Roxas back while at the same time pushing Mickey away. "You need to calm down."

With that, Mickey realized the crowd that was formed around his door and in conjunction, him. Recovering as much as one can in that situation he stood up straighter and slipped into this role. "Move along people." The voice was strong and clear with no hint of what just happened in it. The people dispersed grudgingly but Mickey didn't speak until the hallway was clear.

"Excuse my behavior; you just caught me by surprise." He smoothed down his clothes as he talked, "I'll talk to you later, right now I need to get some things in order." And with that Mickey disappeared back inside his office and slammed the door in their faces where the sound of papers flying into the air exploded. He left Roxas and Axel stunned in the hallway where Roxas was having trouble forming thoughts as he tried to understand what just happened. Axel on the other hand was angry and pushed Roxas down the hallway.

"What just happened?" Roxas asked in all seriousness as they walked away from the office. Axel didn't answer right away and was instead looking over his shoulder to make sure Mickey didn't bust out and head their way.

"I'm not sure but we're going to find out."

* * *

Mickey swept the remaining papers off his desk. Over the past few days he had puzzled over how they would ever have a chance to stop what the enemy was doing and just when he was getting his head around the idea this shit was dropped in his lap. He would be able to stop the military if Roxas was still around, it was too much of a risk if they were to get their hands on him and use him against them. Roxas was a threat not only to this place but to the entire world.

"One step at a time big boy, one step at a time." Mickey rubbed his face, his once refined cloak in disarray from his sleepless nights. First things first he had to get rid of Roxas. But that would be made difficult with Axel by his side at all times of the day. Nighttime, that when he would have to strike if he wanted to finish things off nice and quietly without anyone the wiser. He could then pin it on one of the less trustworthy people that were suspicious to everyone like Snow, no one trusted him.

After that they would have to track down Naminé no matter the cost. She was the key to everything if they wanted to stop what the military was planning.

"One step at a time." Mickey told himself as he watched the sunset. "One…step…at a time."

* * *

Heh, so yeah I admit that was terribly long but I hope you guys liked it all the same. The chapter was incredibly fun to write and the action ramps up in the next chapter if you thought this one was dreadfully dull.

So like always if you have any tips review and let me know or just review if you liked the chapter in the least bit :)


	29. Chapter 29

Twenty nine chapters, sometimes i can't believe its gotten this long, geesh, and its not ever over with yet. Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews!

I got my old job back for the summer where I thought of the idea for this story so it might mean I might get more inspiration meaning I will update faster or it means that I will take longer because half my day is gone. Its a 50/50 chance.

So without further ado, I do not own anything

* * *

"Tell me why we can't tell anyone again?" Axel asked with a bit of the anger in his tone that he had used during their brief conversation with the Commander. "It just doesn't feel right not saying anything." He bit into his sandwich roughly sending crumbs flying about to barely miss the people traveling underneath them. Him and Roxas were currently eating a late dinner on the ledge that overlooked the first floor on the second floor.

"Because, for one thing, no one would believe us and we don't even have enough evidence." Roxas explained eating his sandwich a tad more delicately than his friend. Solid food would never get old to him after eating nothing but paste at the institute for three months. Axel seemed unconvinced by this and turned back away from Roxas leaning forward to shake his sandwich over the ledge to rid it of the extra crumbs. This time someone wasn't as lucky and cried out from the crumbs landing on their head and shoulders.

Axel ignored their cries of protest to ask, "So you're just going to ignore what he did?" Roxas stared straight ahead so his eyes wouldn't betray what he was thinking about like they seemed to do so many times.

"Obviously something was wrong with him." Roxas turned to face him, "I just don't want us to rush into accusations when it might not be anything." Roxas turned back to the opening and ignored the look of disbelief Axel was shooting him. Roxas didn't believe the words he said either but he did believe that they did have to wait. Patience was a virtue, and one that the mumbling red head didn't seem to have.

He heard Axel shake his head but he didn't say anything. Roxas hoped he was doing the right thing by not mentioning it to his brothers but he couldn't help but feel that he was making a bad decision that would bite him in the butt later. They ate the rest of their dinner in grudging silence, both of them not knowing what to say to help the situation.

"I have to go find out what my next mission is going to be, don't go and do anything stupid ok?" Axel said as he backed away from Roxas wiping his hands on his cloak. Roxas nodded not saying anything but agreeing to the terms silently. Axel accepted this but shot him a scrutinizing look that Roxas tried to assure with a small smile. This resulted in Axel grinning before walking away with a small wave.

Roxas looked back down at the people milling around before pushing away from the ledge and deciding he might as well go to bed. He would probably start getting assigned missions again soon and he didn't want to be falling asleep during them. As he walked down the hall he was glad to say with his wings covered up they drew measurably less stares but the stain on his face made up for that until he pulled his hood up and walked with his head down low. Then the only trouble that occurred was him almost running into a few people.

After traveling up a few floors he made it to his room and closed the door behind him as he entered it. That was the good thing about having the headquarters in a hotel, it never ran out of rooms.

It felt unnaturally empty, but he had too much pride to go ask one of his brothers if he could sleep with them and besides, Sora slept with Riku and Cloud had the night shift. Instead he walked in and pulled off both his sweatshirt and shirt before pulling off his shoes. He sat on his bed in his jeans and looked around at his undecorated room.

Every other room he had seen in the hotel had been decorated largely by the residents that lived here by things they had been able to keep after the explosion or from things they had scavenged but his stills held no signs that anyone lived in it. The only light that illuminated the room to some degree was the moon shining through the slats of the boarded up window. Knowing where the furniture was in his room he lay down on the bed, stomach down, and let his wings relax so they fell over the side. He felt a bit exposed but knowing he could summon light in a moment's notice did ease his fears a bit.

Briefly, Roxas' thoughts flitted to Axel but soon pictures of the girl standing on the edge of the building holding her hand out to him encompassed them all. And with that, slowly, he felt himself let go and fall into a fitful sleep.

_

* * *

The city that was Ifrit had always been known for its firework shows and tonight was no exception. The pyrotechnics peppered the sky like petals in a breeze and more exploded with each second that passed exciting the people that lay below with each successful detonation. The Strife family in particular watched the explosions with a special sort of awe on their faces as they lay in their backyard. Like everyone else that night, they lay out in their suburban backyard on a pair of blankets and stared up at the celebration with wide smiles._

_Roxas lay between his two brothers and felt at ease. He always enjoyed these sorts of things and it felt like it had been forever since they had all gotten to do this. His happiness felt off though and felt odd, like that was a rare thing. His brothers helped distract him from these worries by being their usual selves. Cloud was silent but had a smile on his face while Sora gasped and laughed after each bang. _

_His parents were on a separate blankets cuddling and their laughter rivaled Sora's in loudness. This also felt off but Roxas couldn't put his finger on why._

_Roxas pushed up on his elbows, ruffling up the blanket a bit but no one seemed to mind, as he tried to peer over at his parents but found that their faces were obscured in shadows hiding them from view. He could see their bodies though and noticed they were hugging one another as they pointed to the heavens. Roxas relaxed and tried to tell himself everything was fine and that nothing was wrong but still the uneasiness that diluted the mood remained._

_Trying to ignore the pit in his stomach, he lay back down and watched as the sky was decorated in a mass array of colors by the different kinds of fireworks that were sent into the air. Time had no meaning as the sky was decorated but then it came, the finale. It was the biggest one Roxas had ever seen in his life. There were Catherine wheels, Roman candles, Time Rains, and his favorite Diadems. They were so bright it seemed like it was daylight at the height of their bursts._

"_You are a failure, a monster," Roxas shot his head up as a familiar yet strange voice floated in and out of the firework noise as if carried by the breeze. "Things would be better if you were dead." Another voice called out and this time he almost was able to put a finger on it but as it faded away so did the memory. As the sounds of the fireworks took priority once again he took a second to check if any of his family noticed the voices. None of them did though as their attention was planted firmly on the lights in the sky._

"_Subject Seven, so much potential wasted." This was a different voice, older and with more menace to the tone but it to held nostalgia. Roxas made his way out from between his brothers and stood up staring at his empty house that had seemed so comforting before now leered down at him. Not wanting to investigate in there he walked away from the cozy family moment to the front of his house. "There may be a use for him yet."_

"_Useless, idiotic, last chance at viable results." Roxas looked around frantically trying to locate the mass of voice that were calling out, the feeling of dread multiplying tenfold. "No more patients left."_

"_No signs of effect…yet, will have to wait."_

"_It's time for endurance test; don't tell me you're scared." _

"_What is going on!" Roxas yelled as he stood in the middle of the empty road as the torrent of voices built up around him. _

"_What's wrong Subject Seven is it too much for you to handle?" Roxas knew the wielder of that voice even before he turned around to face the silver haired man. His brain would never be allowed to forget that smooth voice that held all his fears. Roxas felt his heart sink to his chest as he faced the one winged man known simply as Sephiroth. "My living legacy, you have so much to live up to."_

_A flash of dark light was the foreshadowing to the horrors about to happen as a long gleaming sword materialized in the gloved hands which held it aloft as if it was nothing more than a feather. "But don't worry; you will be able to focus on something much better soon." Before Roxas could blink Sephiroth had leaped into the air and landed on his roof with his one wing outstretched and stared back down on him, "Just think of this as my present to you." His smiled gleamed brightly under the fireworks as he stepped off the roof in the direction of Roxas' family._

"_Nooo!" Roxas screamed feeling his throat go raw as he started to run to his backyard not noticing the world disintegrating behind him. His movements felt slow and sluggish though he was going as fast as he could. It felt like forever but he when he finally rounded on his backyard to see it in disarray with neither Cloud nor Sora in sight. The world went black and white as his eyes tore across the grass to see his parents on the ground, still alive, begging for their lives. _

"_Please! We have children! If only you-," They were cut down mid sentence by the long sword that mutilated their bodies in two quick swipes. Their bodies crumpled on top of each other in a disturbing scene. The sword was pulled slowly back up and appeared to be black in the dark light from all the blood coating it._

_Roxas felt his heart speed up like a drum in his chest as Sephiroth looked up from the bodies that had once been his parents and shot him a sly grin. _

"_You…you Bastard!" Roxas cried out as he raised his hands instinctively and ran forward only to see the world slip away as he fell into a void of blackness. Squirming around he found it to be to no avail as the darkness pulled and tugged on him until he found himself deposited in the middle of the road surrounded by tall buildings. The memories of the Normandy city rushed back to him as the weight of his wings lay on his back bringing him back to the present. _

"_Lying down on the job huh Roxas?" Roxas stood up as fast as he could and almost wept seeing the familiar red head standing down the street a little ways from him wearing a cocky smile. Making sure there was no one around, Roxas ran forward to hi s friend and grabbed his arm. _

"_We got to get out of here!" He pulled his friend forward looking around at the city that swam before him eyes. Sephiroth was still out there and he wasn't going to get Axel. "C'mon, walk faster." His wings spread out protectively as Axel refused to walk faster even though the threat was imminent._

"_Trying to get away, tsk tsk Roxas. That's not really your style is it?" Roxas shoved Axel behind him and spread his wings out to create a barrier between him and the Nobody advancing down the road. "I just need to kill your friend and then we can have our party, now wouldn't you like that?"_

"_Get the fuck away!" This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. Sephiroth ignored his cry and seemed to disappear and reappear while all the evermore coming closer. Axel seemed to be in shock for he hadn't said anything but Roxas didn't notice for all his nightmares were happening before his eyes. Letting out a roar of anger he ran charged to meet his enemy with his summoned keyblade but when he swung it seemed to pass through nothingness. _

_Trying to recover from his great swing he turned slightly to see Sephiroth raise his sword and slice down on his back. White fire exploded across his back as the blade cut through bone and muscle. He hit the ground at the same time his wings did and watched in horror as they crumbled into dust and blew away in a breeze. Successfully stunned from the pain that was tearing across his back Roxas fought against it and pulled himself forward on the ground reaching a hand out to Axel who had fear filled eyes. _

"_RUN!" Was all Roxas could scream as he felt blackness drip down his face obscuring the vision in his right eye. All Axel did though was reach a hand out to him as he took a step forward. "NO, RUN!" _

_But it was too late; Sephiroth landed softly down behind Axel and with a single thrust, impaled him. Surprise emanated from the red head as blood made currents down his clothes onto the ground as the blade was pulled out. His eyes met Roxas' for a single second as he fell to his knees until finally to his side._

"_AXEL!" The realization that his friend was dead failed to reach Roxas' brain as Sephiroth leered over Axel smiling crazily. Then with a single flap of his wing he was gone. But the nightmare wasn't over for Roxas, he crawled forward trying to ignore the pain that thundering through his back and the liquid that was dripping down his face. Leaving a trail of blood behind him he finally reached his fallen friend and clutched at him._

"_You can't die Axel, I won't let you." Roxas shook Axel but all he felt was the cold taking over his friend's body. "Please, don't. Please…" Roxas sobbed as he clutched at Axels' cloak and buried his head in the blood soaked chest. As the pain wracked his body it slowly concentrated in his heart as the world became nothingness._

* * *

Roxas' eyes whipped open in an instant as he fell out of his bed in a floundering movement and smacked his head against the ground. Ignoring the pain in his cranium he scrambled to his feet and dashed out in the hallway. At that moment all he cared about was whether Axel was alive or not. The smell of blood had been all too real and the sight of his friend dead would haunt his dreams in the future.

Breathing hard, he stumbled down the hall trying to remember where Axels' room was in his sleep and pain induced haze. It was to such a point that he didn't notice the slight amount of liquid running down his face. The hall seemed especially long as he looked for the door he had only seen once. It had stood out with the scorch marks that were on it but now he wasn't so sure he would be able to find it. But he wasn't going to give up.

His eyes searched the wavering hallway as his doubt of finding this particular door grew but just when he was about to give up and start yelling Axels name he saw the door with the hallmark burns. Pushing himself along the wall he made it to the door just as his head started to clear of pain but sadly the same couldn't be said for the black liquid that oozing from his forehead. He heard a string of curses explode from behind the door followed by the sound of covers rustling.

"God Damnit Demyx! I am going to take that damn Sitar you love so much and burn it up till there isn't any-," The door slammed open to reveal Axel who had a serious case of bed head and only wearing a pair of long black pajama pants. His sentence was cut off once his eyes fell upon Roxas causing him to screw up his face in confusion. Roxas knew he looked horrible with his feathers and hair in disarray from the thrashing he had done in his sleep but he was just so glad that the dream hadn't been real.

"Roxas, is everything ok?" Axel was finally able to sputter out after his initial shock wore off. "Did Mickey do anything to you?" He poked his head outside his dark room and looked around the hallway for any danger that might have brought Roxas to his door when he saw the black stains that littered the floor and lead up to where Roxas stood. Roxas watched as Axels' eyes followed the trail up to his face where his eyes showed the shock at seeing the dark liquid that stained his face anew. Axel was taken aback by the amount of dark liquid that was running down Roxas' face. His eyes opened wide, the sleep in them disappearing with a start.

"Can I stay in here with you tonight?" Roxas asked suddenly before even he knew he was saying it. Axel looked taken aback by this request but Roxas didn't back down, he either slept in the room with Axel or he stayed out in the hallway and slept. After that dream there was no way he was going to be able to sleep any other way.

Axel shifted his weight to the heels of his feet and combed his fingers through his hair as he stepped to the side of the door wordlessly giving his answer to the inquiry. Roxas walked inside the dark room with his wings held in tight, his eyes wavering a bit from the sleep that was still instilled in them. The nightmare was on the edges of his mind and at any moment it felt like it would come real, which is what gave him the courage to lie down on bed without feeling awkward or embarrassed. If this is what had to happen to make sure Axel was safe he would do it.

The same couldn't be said for Axel who was now wide awake from his unexpected guest's arrival but he closed the door all the same leaving the room in total darkness. He was tempted to bring a small flame to his hand but was dissuaded from that action when he heard the small even breaths coming from Roxas signaling that his friend was already asleep. As his eyes did their best to adjust to the lack of light, Axel couldn't help but smile softly at seeing the rare unguarded Roxas who lay with half of his body off his bed.

Stifling a yawn Axel thought that this wouldn't be so bad after all. He walked over to the bed and laid down where an odd thought entered his mind that he couldn't suppress. Looking over, he made sure Roxas was truly asleep. After that he let himself experience one of his inner desires. Reaching a hand over his friends small form he pulled the blond close to his chest and breathed deep letting himself enjoy the moment as much as he could before drifting off to sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, Roxas was still awake though he was on the brink of sleep. Long ago at the institute he had trained himself to appear asleep to put the guards off but now it was paying off more than he could have ever hoped for. It just felt right how his body filled the hollow but it also comforted him that if anyone tried to get at Axel in these dim hours of the night, they would have to go through him first.

To anyone passing through the hallway in the nigh hours of twilight they would have never known that behind a scorched door that two people had finally realized something important and nothing would be the same between them again. Sadly the pair would not get to keep their respite for long for fate had a twisted path carved for them that wouldn't give them the night off. For fates tool was a tall muscular man that was rather disheveled in appearance though mere days earlier he had been refined and respected. The Commander of this Headquarters was on a mission to try and save the city known as Normandy and this was just one step he had to take.

His eyes were narrow and filled with darkness that not even the brightest of lights could pierce. His steps brought him to one of the many floors that held the sleeping habitants of this building. As he walked his footfalls were hard and heavy as he walked down the hallway, stopping outside the door that held his quandary.

Opening it softly, he stepped in and closed the door with a click behind him. His breaths were unsteady and uneven but still he walked up to the bed that held a form under the blankets. He halted for a brief moment and closed his eyes, praying to whatever god could forgive him for the deed he was about to perform. Mollified, he reopened his eyes and with a swift movement brought the knife he had hidden his pocket and plunged it into the body hidden under the covers. The sensation felt off and a moment a later he realized why. He drew the blade out angrily once he figured out all he had stabbed was a crumpled up pillows.

Cursing, he exited the room and hid the dagger once more. Drawing his eyebrows low he frowned seeing the small but evident black drips that made a definitive trail from the room he was just in to down the hall. This was what he had been afraid of. Walking down the hall he saw the drops scatter as if the person who was source of them had been in a panic or frightened. They eventually reached a scorched door and pooled to create a large circle showing that the person had been there long enough for it form.

There were no signs of forced entry but that didn't still the dread from forming which lead to him abandon the knife and move onto to his another weapon. His hand wrapped around the gun that he had equipped with a silencer beforehand as a precaution and he drew it out and cocked it. Easing the door open, he was careful to not let the faint light in the hallway spill into the room.

Pausing, he let his eyes adapt to the rooms lack of light before approaching the bed that he knew held his target. It was worse that he had feared, Roxas was half covered by his top operative Axel. He was just going to kill both of them for the greater good but now that he knew that the liability was Axel it changed things. He would have to do this fast, shoot Roxas quietly and then leave just as quickly.

This had to be taken care of tonight, it had to be. Slowly Mickey walked up to the bed and raised the gun so it was pointed at the blond head of the kid that had brought so much trouble onto his shoulders. His hand shook sporadically causing him to breath for a few more seconds to steady it. Sadly for him, those few seconds soon became his downfall as Axel twitched in his sleep from a piece of hair falling into his eyes. Opening one of his lazily, he brushed the stray strand out of his face but then stilled upon seeing a dark form holding a gun over him and Roxas.

The dark outline of the man stood halted in his action once he realized that Axel was awake but as if trying to make up for that he jerked the gun closer to Roxas and by the way his hand twitched Axel knew in a second he was going to shoot. Not waiting for that, Axel used the hand that was wrapped around Roxas' chest and pulled while rolling over so Roxas landed on the other side of him just as the shot hissed through the air to bury itself in the mattress. As Roxas awoke Axel was already moving his other hand to summon his Chakram which he then threw.

The Chakram flew through the air to knock into the gun sending it clattering off into a side of the room while Axel executed the next part of his plan to stop this unknown visitor. Leaping off the bed to stand over the stunned Roxas, who was trying to get up but was halted by a foot planted on his chest courtesy of Axel, and with a flick of his wrist brought both weapons back to his hands. The attacker didn't waste a moment's breath either and pulled a knife out of his pocket wielding it with expertise.

Normally Axel would have stopped to question what was going on but the anger was clouding his judgment and after seeing that gun pulled on his Roxas there was no way to go back. Without making a noise he through one Chakram to distract the target while he jumped up on the bed to slam the other down onto the man's head.

But this man was smart; he knew the ploy the instant Axel started to make the key movements that signaled the attack in its infancy. Axel sneered as the man blocked the first Chakram easily enough and had to bring up both his hands to block his head from getting a major injury. The blades sticking out of the deadly wheel pierced into the enemies arms so when Axel ripped it away a sheet of blood sprayed out onto the floor.

He kicked the man in the gut sending him into the wall with a thud but he man recovered quickly and grabbed the offending leg. Axel had only seconds to brace himself before the man swung him into the door where he felt the hands release his leg in mid stream of the arc. The momentum sent him crashing into the door with such force that he opened it resulting him skidding into the hallway where the opposite wall stopped his progress.

In the seconds that it took for those moves to play out Roxas had gotten to his feet and saw his friend hit the wall outside the room before the door slammed shut obscuring him from view. The stranger that had invaded the room bent down and picked up the discarded gun with haste and held it with both hands pointed forward. Roxas bared his teeth and summoned his keyblade in a flash of light, but in that flash of light the visage of the man's identity was revealed.

This was enough to put a kink in Roxas' guard as his movements suffered a stumble at the surprise factor that had been thrown his way. Time slowed as the man he knew simply as the Commander drew the gun up and cocked it readying his shot. Roxas brought his keyblade up and started to duck to the side in a pathetic defense move. He knew in his beating heart that he would be to late but still he bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes in clear defiance of death.

Before he knew it a large crack rang out but it wasn't from what he expected.

The door not only slammed open, it was ripped off of its hinges from the blast of heat that was applied to it in those split seconds. It shattered upon impact causing Mickey to shield himself from the debris that became deadly missiles in the air. He swept his hand through the air scattering most of them but a few fixed onto his coat. Roxas didn't wait; he jumped over the bed and slammed his keyblade through the air only to have it halted by a single hand. His eyes widened in surprise as a murderous glare was fixed his way from the Commander as the man he had trusted so much sent his free hand whistling through the air to grab his neck.

Gagging, Roxas fought against the strangling hand as heard the Commander speak, "Stop Axel, this ends now." The thick hand tightened as Roxas' fingers scrambled against it trying to gain his freedom. He felt his feet leave the ground as the hand drew him up. "This has to end!" Mickey said once more as his eyes locked with Roxas' to see the fight roaring with fury behind those sky blue orbs that haunted his dreams.

As he drew the little bit of air he could at this point, Roxas fought through the pain to rip his eyes from the Commanders steely gaze to behind him. What he saw gave him the strength to hold on for a few more seconds as he wheezed in the last breath he could manage.

Axel felt the world spin as everything fell apart during these last few minutes but now he was taking control, no one was going to take Roxas away from him, least of all the man he had felt he could trust the most. He watched as the life slowly left Roxas' struggling body as he pushed through the debris littered air, Chakram in hand. Then when the Commander turned his head, he made his move, he slammed his left hand that held the blade filled wheel into the man's defenseless side. The knives sliced into the cloak and slid into the yielding flesh with deadly precision.

The commander turned his head toward Axel with a vicious glare lining his face as the shock of pain loosened his grip enough for Roxas to pull away and fall to the ground gasping. The force that Axel was applying sent them fumbling to the ground as Mickey was effectively pinned by the Chakram that had made its way through half his body.

Mickey tried to turn over but Axel wouldn't let him. The sound of Roxas coughing for air spurned him onward in his brutal attack against his leader.

"Axel! Listen to me, it's for the best!" Mickey cried out as the internal injuries took their toll resulting in a thin drip of blood running down from his mouth. Axels only response was to push down further with his weapon. He heard a gasp of surprise but that didn't make him relent even as he was pulled forcibly away from his weapon and into the hall.

"What is going on?" Squall asked in anger as Axel struggled against the hold. Axel was practically coated in blood from attacking the Commander and Roxas was practically having a heart attack in the room. He saw Cloud rush into his room and hoped that he could take care of it as he did his best not to let the struggling red head go.

Cloud felt his heart skip a beat at seeing his brother trying to stand up while coughing violently and his leader on the ground bleeding.

"He's trying to kill Roxas!" Axel voice rang out in fear out in the hallway. Cloud watched in disbelief as his leader and mentor futilely reached for a gun out of his reach. Grimacing, Cloud stepped over his fallen leader and helped Roxas stand. As he walked out of the room with Roxas in tow he pulled out his cellphone and dialed a quick number.

"Aerith I need you on floor six, room 73 now." He clicked the phone shut and lowered his brother onto the ground out in the hall where a crowd was starting to form. Luckily Axel had calmed down quite a bit upon seeing that Roxas was ok but Cloud could still tell he wanted to kill the man still in the room. Standing up he addressed the nervous crowd of people and asked, "Is there any people from the healing faction here?"

A girl who could only have been in her pre-teens stepped forward with long sweeping black hair and said, "I am Sir." Cloud looked at her with skeptical eyes but nodded at her signaling her forward where he leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"This is a class five situation; I need you to appear calm. In that room is the Commander, I need you to keep him alive until Aerith can get here." The girl tried to stifle a gasp but it was still loud enough to draw attention. "Can you do that...?"

"Garnet Sir and yes I can try."

Cloud nodded again and stood straight up, "Go get to it." Garnet did a swift salute before disappearing into the room. "Nothing to see here people, go back to sleep." He used the voice he had learned from the Commander causing him to flinch slightly but no one seemed to notice. The voice did its work even though they all seemed unconvinced and the crowd began to disperse with this week's gossip on all their lips.

Seeing that Axel was no longer a threat, Squall released his grip earning a glare from the read head but Axel didn't bother doing anything else, instead he walked quickly over to Roxas who was leaning on the wall, the bruises already beginning to show on his neck. He planted both his hands on Roxas' shoulders and looked him in the eyes trying to get a feel on how his friend was feeling.

He saw anger roiling in the undercurrents. "He, he tried to kill me? HE, tried to kill ME?" Roxas tried to go into the dark room but was held back by Axel. Straining against Axels grip he yelled, "What the hell! I trusted you! I gave you the benefit of the doubt!" All the respect that he had built up for this man had been wiped away in an instant and now he felt strangely hollow. "Do you know how hard that is for me to do?"

Axel drew him back away from the door and into a hug while whispering, "He will pay for what he did Roxas, just not now. But I promise you, he will." That was enough to settle him down but the resentment remained as he watched Aerith run down the hall and into the room.

Cloud walked up to Squall who was making the lingering crowd leave, "I need you to stay here and make sure everything is taken care of while I go figure out what happened." Squall nodded curtly at him and moved to stand outside the door to guard. "You two, come with me." Cloud ordered still using the Commander voice. Axel glowered at Clouds back but followed after but stopped and looked sadly at Roxas.

Roxas took one last second to send his hatred to the man bleeding on the ground in the dark room before turning around and walking alongside Axel following his brother.

It was hard to put his trust in anything and now that it had been broken, that man would never earn it back.

* * *

Wow, that another doozy but sometimes it cannot be helped. Already got Chapter 30 started but still trying to figure out how I will write it.

Please review and make my bleak working days better, and hoped you liked this chapter.


	30. Chapter 30

**Oh job, how I hate thee for waking me up so early in the morning but I must or i will not have money for college. So far the job is cutting into my writing time but I am hopefull that since I have a free weekend I will be able to do a wicked amount of writing then, for anyone that cares that is. For all I know you guys don't really care.**

**Anyways, I think this story has a good four or three chapters left but it could go shorter or longer for all I know. This story lasted way longer than I ever expected it to, I don't know if that is a good or bad thing to tell you the truth. **

**So again thanks for all the reviews, the few seconds that it takes you to do that end up making my entire day. And before I forget if you go on my profile page there is a link to my deviant page where I have posted pictures of how Mickey, Roxas, and Axel look like in my story. I'm not the greatest of artist but I'm not horrible so if you are curious there you go.  
**

**I don't own rights to anything in this story, it is for entertainment only.  
**

* * *

"Hey Marly, have you heard about what happened yesterday?" Larxene asked leaning down next to Marluxia as she toyed with one of her many knives. They were currently in the barracks of the main military establishment in the dying city and around them sat the majority of their squad. Over the past day or two they had had nothing to do leading them to be a very bored bunch of Nobodies but Larxene had recently gleamed some gossip off some defenseless scientist. The nightmares he would undoubtedly be having later from their meetings made her smile as she practically sat in Marluxia's lap.

"No but I am sure you are going to fill me in." Marluxia responded dryly summoning a flower into his hand and started to preen it delicately already growing bored with the conversation. Larxene ignored this subtle insult and went onward with her information undeterred.

"From what I've heard, yesterday Sephiroth and Xemnas had a row and it almost came to blows." She was practically giggling like a school girl before she finished her sentence. "Sephiroth went on and on about how Xemnas let Naminé escape but interesting enough said nothing about Subject Seven. It's so delightfully entertaining isn't it?" Larxene drawled with a long catlike smile.

Marluxia took in the information with grace and showed no outward interest in the subject causing Xigbar to pop in and say something, "I heard about poppets disappearance but you want to know something particularly juicy." By the time Xigbar had leaned over and said this, the whole crowd of Nobodies had started to listen in but it was only Larxene that cried, "Yes!" It had been very boring these past few days reducing these deadly killers to middle age housewives gossiping.

"Ever hear about a man called Hojo?" Xigbar asked with a light tone as he leaned over Marluxia into Larxene's face causing Marluxia to push both of them away but that didn't stop Larxene from practically drooling over the possibly of hearing something new but before she could answer Xaldin popped into the conversation from one of the far away tables.

"He is a particular deranged scientist they keep locked up in the Institute just outside the city." Xaldin got up from his table and stood in the opening of their circle, "I had to spend a week with him when they thought I might be a viable substitute to their project and let's just say it was not pleasant." Marluxia made a face at this, surprised that Xaldin would say that about a scientist he could probably kill without a second thought but Xigbar just smiled and nodded.

"Right on the dot, but from what I heard he is majorly pissed off that they let Subject Seven escape. See, I was just minding my own business when I was passing through Section C when I saw Hojo go right in Saïx' face and call him a failure." The battle hardened group couldn't help but widen their eyes at this statement. "He then went on and on about how the future of the world rested in that specimen and if they didn't get him and Naminé back then there would be hell to pay."

"Hmph, that kid was ok but he couldn't even hold himself in battle against us." He folded his arms and looked away, "As I recall he was about to die when we were through with him." Xaldin commented with his thick eyebrows down low and a grimace on his face.

"Hah, you're just mad that he was the one that got away." Larxene said giggling hysterically with a hand brought up to her face. "The one you got so close to killing and then Poof," she held up her hands and spread her fingers, "He's gone, taunting you with his sheer existence." Her laughter was high and shrill and seemed like it was on the edge of hysteria.

Xaldin sneered at her and got up to leave but then hesitated when he saw Luxord gather his cards up from his game of Solitaire and speak up. "Sit down Xaldin, unless you don't want to know what our next assignments are going to be."

The dreadlock man paused in his step and wheeled around asking angrily, "And how could you possibly know classified information such as that when the rest of us are in the dark?"

"Because, my dear friend, lady luck is on my side." Luxordsaid as he flicked a card to his face. "During one of those dreadfully long meetings we are forced to attend, I happened to leave to go to the bathroom at the right moment for on my way I happened across Xemnas talking to one of the scientist who was stationed at our last building." He paused a moment letting the information sink in the silenced group before continuing. "Apparently our young lass Naminé is trying to contact Subject Seven."

"And what evidence do they have that pertains to this being true?" Marluxia asked making his flower grow fuller. The other nodded in agreement and said the same thing pushing Luxord to answer. He merely held up a full deck of cards to quiet them before answering.

"Well, just before the attack they found that her room was filled with pictures of him." He flicked the card back down and brought up the queen of hearts, "And we all know what that means." They all grew silent at this revelation. "Soon we will get the notices to go hunt down our young friends before they can find one another."

They all grew silent as their thoughts began to explore the possibilities of this happening when they heard the door to the room open. Saïx entered looking particularly worse for the wear which caused Xigbar to start chuckling. "What's wrong doggy, lose anymore teenagers?" Saïx growled vigorously but didn't move to attack.

Taking a moment to settle down he finally was able to get out, "Report in the meeting room, your next assignments are ready."

* * *

Roxas sat with his wings held tightly under a sweatshirt in a hard wooden chair beside Axel who now wore his usual cloak over his pajama bottoms. They were both across from his brother Cloud who sat behind his desk with a worn look on his face. The inner conflict his brother was going through could be seen a mile away but Roxas didn't care. He could tell Axel didn't care either by the way his fingers were gripping into the seat of his chair in an attempt to contain the anger he was undeniably feeling. Roxas felt the same way but he was better at hiding his emotions behind a blank face but even now he knew Cloud could see the rage roiling in his eyes.

Not only had one of the few people he had trusted and respected tried to throttle him while at the same time saying it was for "the best" but now it seemed like his brother was more worried about the headquarters than he was about him. In the corner of his mind he felt guilty for feeling this way but the larger part of him screamed out in pain from all that had happened to him, the least his brother could do was be by his side throughout it. Again the guilt was there for these thoughts but it was hard not to think that way.

Axel on the other hand was the complete opposite with how he was taking the situation. His irritation at how what happened was being treated and handled was tangible which in a perverse way made Roxas feel better. The knowledge that at least his best friend had his back comforted him but in no way did that make him not want to ram a keyblade down Mickey's throat any less than he did right now. He was shook from his vivid daydream of doing just that by Clouds voice.

"I'm sorry Roxas for what happened," Cloud said lowering his hands onto his desk to look at him with deep blue eyes that had seen too much, "And I know that you must want him dead but that can't happen." Roxas refused to give him any clue on how he was feeling but it wasn't that hard. The words rang hollow to him.

"Do you not see what he did to Roxas?" Axel asked motioning at the dark bruises that showed a hand imprint lining Roxas' battered neck which made Roxas involuntary flinch. "That man needs to pay for what he did somehow so if not death then what?" Roxas noticed that Axel's hair seemed to stand even more on end than usual as he delivered his questions with ferocious intensity.

Cloud shifted his attention to the fiery individual and gave him a long look before answering. "He must have done what he did for a reason; you said something about how he said it was something he had to do, but why. Before we do anything we need to know what caused him to do it." Axel looked like he wanted to jump over the desk and hit Cloud over the head but he refrained and instead said one last comment.

"You need to do something Cloud, sooner rather than later." Cloud looked a bit taken aback but it only showed for a moment before a small knock came from the door. "Come in." Cloud said still locking eyes with the fuming pyro. The door clicked open to reveal the girl known as Garnet. She looked hesitant and it was only Cloud waving her in further that made her move from her perch at the doorframe. "What do you need?" Cloud asked, the fatigue returning to his features.

She stood straighter in an attempt to gain courage and reported, "Squall has sent me to tell you that Mickey is awake and asking to speak to you…Sir!" She added the sir at the end feeling the anger radiated from Axel and the long look that Cloud sent her. Sighing he pushed up from his desk and walked over to her and gave her a small smile.

"Thank you Garnet, you can return to your usual duties now and if anyone asks what has happened tell them it's under control." She nodded and stepped out of the way as Cloud opened the door back open for her. Looking back one time out of pure curiosity she wondered briefly just what would happen but then happily stepped out of the equation and back into her normal routine free of such worries.

"I have to go talk to him." Cloud turned to leave but was stopped and turned his head back when he heard Roxas stand up from his chair.

"We're coming." Roxas stated simply leaving no room for negotiation as Axel stood up beside him and put and simple hand on his shoulder for both comfort and support. Cloud nodded slightly and left the room without saying a word. Roxas followed him out into the hall with his jaw set in a hard line preparing himself to hold back the emotions that made him want to kill Mickey on sight or at least attacking him.

But it wasn't just the anger at what happened to him that was causing him such a degree of pain, it was the fact that he hadn't put his all into trying to get away from Mickey's grip. The small part of his heart that hadn't been hardened had held him back from hurting the man that had protected his family and all these people but now that part was dead, dead, dead. If that ever happened again, he wouldn't hesitate to unleash all the power he could to get away.

Even thought that part had been taken from him mercilessly, another part of his heart that still remained had forged a remarkable bond to the man that walked by his side almost protectively. That part sang with joy at the fact that he had defended him so readily but also stung with guilt that he had to do that in the first place. If he had gotten hurt Roxas didn't know what he would have done. "Thanks for being on my side." Roxas whispered quietly as to not let Cloud hear.

"Like there was any other side I would want to be on you idiot." Axel remarked with a grin Roxas had missed so much. "Come here." He said playfully pulling Roxas to his side with a lazy hand into a side hug filling Roxas with warmth. He thought he saw Cloud look back but a second later he couldn't be sure if he had imagined it. All in all though, this sign of affection gave Roxas the extra push he needed to march on to the room that held so many answers he needed and feared to hear.

Squall, who was on guard outside Aeriths office, nodded as Cloud and him conversed too quietly for Axel and Roxas to pick up. Cloud then turned back and asked "Are you sure you can handle this?" Cloud earned another glare with statement from Axel and Roxas. Cloud just nodded and entered the room and immediately Mickey started to yell so loud Axel and Roxas could hear what he was saying all the way out in the hallway.

"Where is he? Cloud, listen to me we have to-"He was cut off by a loud thud that sounded like a punch. Axel bristled at this and balled his hands into fists while Roxas felt a shrill pain slice through his chest. Staying strong, Roxas jutted his head high and stepped into the room to see Mickey strapped to a cot in mid heal with Cloud leering over him with his hand upraised. Aerith stood in the corner with her hands over her mouth and red eyes that showed she had been crying.

Mickey had recovered from the blow and lifted his head off the cot as much as he could, the effort showing in his features but to Roxas, this wasn't Mickey anymore, this man was a stranger that had darkness and an intense disgust in his eyes when he looked at him while when Mickey had looked at him he had seen hope and respect. The stranger clearly wanted to say something but the hand hovering over his head convinced him to stay quiet as well as the angry Axel watching him from afar by Roxas.

Instead he said something to Cloud, "You all probably think I have gone mad but I am the only sane one here that knows anything!" Cloud clearly wanted to punch him again but held himself back to see what Mickey would say next. Mickey turned to Roxas and snarled, "I've seen your memories Roxas, all three months of hell that you went through with knowledge that you didn't have. I know what they did to you in an attempt to make something inhuman and wrong." He spat that last word with hatred, "You have put your family and everyone in danger by being here for the military is no doubt hunting you down at this very moment."

He stopped talking letting what he said sink into the four people standing in the room. Roxas felt his heart sink to his chest as he realized that Mickey wasn't lying. "You were a horrible mistake Roxas, one that the scientists that created you were to blind to see at the time and even now. All they see is what you can do and not the future of the entire world that you jeopardize." As each second passed Roxas felt his gut fill more and more with dread but it wasn't over yet. "I can see you understand but do you know how they made you? Every day they pumped pure heartless essence into you so that your body would have a bigger reaction to it than a mere Nobody would and even now I can see your body hasn't stopped changing." The darkness cloyed his eyes even more as he took a breath.

"I don't think you are even a Nobody anymore but something more, something dangerous that they want back at all costs but even then it would be futile and the proof of that is as plain as the stain on your face." Roxas didn't give him the satisfaction of touching his face in discomfort. "For you see Roxas, in the files that Axel brought back from the institute it detailed quite a bit about you, and now I know that because you are no longer getting those injections your body is physically rejecting all that gunk that remains in your system." Mickey stopped a second to lick his chapped lips and stare at all the people surrounding before focusing on just Roxas, "And most likely, it's going to kill you."

This time Roxas couldn't help but cringe when that last sentence was delivered and the dread in his stomach exploded into a low keening panic. Axel made a low growled behind before building up and saying "What gives you the right to say that?" Axel moved around Roxas and stood closer to Mickey staring him in the eye, his eyes practically glowed with rage as the air increased in temperature.

"Being a human being gives me the right. Don't believe me though?" Mickey asked seeing the incredulous looks he was receiving. "Just go look in my office. The proof is all there." He turned back to Roxas, "It was going to be a mercy kill Roxas, the death you are going through will be slow and painful. I already know you have had a taste of the pain in your little episodes."

Roxas felt his eyes widen involuntarily. "Yes I know about them Roxas, in your memories I even got to feel one and they are only going to get worse and in the end I don't know how you will react to them. I was trying to protect people from you as well as prevent what the military had planned." He started to laugh manically only stopping from Axel grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling roughly up to his face. Cloud made no move to halt his actions.

"What does the military have planned?" Axel snarled pushing the trapped man roughly back down into the bed but Mickey appeared unafraid and even smiled as the threat was administered. Axel wrinkled his nose as the reek of alcohol wafted up to his nose from the breath Mickey was exhaling.

"So much more than we could have ever known." Mickey said as his eyes grew crazed from lack of sleep and stress. "I have known too much for too long and haven't told anyone but now it doesn't matter. All I ever wanted to do was protect this place and its inhabitants." Mickey said sadly sending a cold shiver down Roxas' back. "But I couldn't even do that." A small bit of clarity and reason entered his eyes as he turned to face Cloud. "I have something to tell you that will change everything you thought about this place."

"Let him go Axel." Cloud put a hand on Axels' shoulder and drew him back earning a reproachful look but Axel complied. "What do you have to say?"

Mickey stared up at the ceiling and said, "I have looked through the data the operatives have collected time and time again and it all has been made clear." His voice grew strong with anger and resentment. "Normand City, boasted as the safest city ever created, was made by the military to be a giant test tube to develop and test the Heartless virus they had created." Everything made sense in one vivid moment to Roxas as the news washed down upon them. The buildings that were already created and in use by them, the military being at the site of the explosion so fast and the fact that the city was situated on an island with only two bridges to get off but yet Roxas felt disbelief. It just couldn't be. It was just too diabolical and evil for someone to fathom.

Cloud voiced his thoughts by saying, "It can't be." But the sound of uncertainty in his voice showed he did in fact believe it. The pieces of the puzzle just fit to perfectly together for any of them to deny the truth they saw.

"It's all in those documents that are scattered in my room if you don't believe me." Mickey cackled as he got all the heavy knowledge of his chest and heaved it on someone else's shoulders.

"You said the military had something planned with Roxas, what did you mean?" Axel demanded to know as Aerith choked back a gasp at the news. "You weren't worried how he would react or you would have done it sooner. What did you find out that made you do what you did?" Axel was sick of all the dodging the man was doing to the one question he wanted to know the most. Roxas wanted to know as well but the shock of learning the city Cloud had picked for the fact it was hailed as the safest threw him for a loop it took a moment to recover from.

"The funny thing is, I don't even know. In the reports I tore through it only darted around the subject but it did make sure I knew it was something big and dangerous. I had to do something, and the only thing I could think of to make sure it never came to pass was to eliminate him." He turned to Roxas again and said, "I don't regret my actions," In response Roxas furrowed his eyebrows and let the man know he hated him. He wanted to leave the room but he knew there was still more to the story Mickey wasn't telling him but still the thoughts of what the military had planned for him couldn't be dismissed that easily.

"You Bastard," Axel was sick of Mickey's attitude but knew he couldn't do anything about it till they were sure they had all the information out of him. They could just go through the documents he spoke of but it would be faster this way and by the sounds of it they didn't have much time to speak of.

"What they plan to do with the virus they have cultivated and tested I don't know but we all have seen firsthand what it is and the dangers it represents if it gets outside these walls." He grew sober at the last second and turned to Cloud. "There is still hope; there is one last chance for the fate of the world." He took a deep breath before continuing, "A girl called Naminé."

"Naminé?" Roxas mumbled to himself, the name felt so familiar though he had never heard it before in his life. Immediately his thoughts were drawn to the girl in white but there was no evidence they were one in the same.

"The scientist affectionately called her that, I am not sure if that is her real name but from what I know she is the key to everything that is going on." Mickey said without a hint of madness to his voice and even his eyes had started to clear up to their normal grey. "She is a Nobody with a very special power of connecting to people's hearts but that isn't why the Military needs her. She was created alongside the virus so that her body, her very genes would be the cure to it in case something went wrong."

"A cure? A real cure?" Aerith stuttered out flying to Mickey's side. "It could cure a heartless?" Her eyes shined with tears breaking Roxas' heart to see her in such distress. Evidently it did the same to Mickey's who looked apologetic and morose.

"No, it wouldn't but if it was given to someone during the preliminary stages of exposure they would be safe from turning into one." He then turned serious. "I have recently received reports that after base three was raided by an unknown heartless attack," Axel and Roxas shared a look. "That she escaped and is now loose in the city. We have to get her before they do, it's our only chance."

"I am sorry on how I handled the situation and how I didn't tell anyone but I hoped to try and handle it myself." He was quickly becoming less mad and saner with each passing moment as the alcohol loosened its hold on him and the direness of the situation took hold. "If you don't believe me go to my office and see for yourself but I implore you to start sending out people to go find her. This is a window of opportunity that we won't have for very long."

Cloud took a step back and faced Aerith who was now sobbing quietly on a stool by her equipment. Clouds features softened as he put an arm over her shoulder. "I'll send Squall in to guard him if you put him to sleep." She nodded and holding back her tears she stood up and walked to Mickey where she put a soft hand on his forehead. Immediately the fight left the man's body as her powers took hold and sent him to sleep. With that she left the room without saying a word but her quiet sobs were heard before she exited.

Roxas didn't wait to see what happened next. He rushed past Axel before he could say anything and walked out into the hallway where he broke out into a sprint. Morning must have come during all the commotion for now the hotel was showing signs of life with a few Nobodies roaming the halls going about their usual business. He darted around them earning a few weird looks but in the state of mind he was in he couldn't care less.

He ran into the stairwell and basically jumped down the stairs and once he had exited he didn't stop running until he had left the hotel and stood outside. Breathing hard he didn't let himself have much of a break as he tore his sweatshirt off until he was standing bare chested with his wings expanded out. He launched himself into the air and blindly flew into the sky. His course held no direction as he rose above the rooftops and through the clouds that covered the city.

"This damn city." He thought as he lost sight of it through the clouds. Above here in the air he was lost in the pillars of fluff the clouds formed away from the despair and chaos below that he had learned about.

Not able to contain himself anymore he let loose an ear splitting cry that held all his anger and frustration at all the things he couldn't control yet had power over him. He finally allowed himself to feel all the pent up emotion he had steeled away from himself in one horrid moment as it exploded from him into a physical scream. He WAS a monster, he WAS a mistake, and he SHOULD have been killed.

The yell lasted until all the breath had left his lungs and even after that he just filled them again and let another one loose. His body felt as if it was being torn apart by all the news he had learned after his attempted murder. They had made him for something terrible and if they didn't get their hands on him soon according to Mickey, he was going to die.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!" He yelled up to the heavens to the unknown god that dithered in his life like he was some toy. Everything had just started to look up. He had found his family, he had just gotten home and he had actually started to try and express things to Axel but no. The universe just liked to fuck with him and everything he cared about. Time passed but it held no meaning up in the sky as the emotions wracked his body and possessed him but finally he closed in wings in tight and let his body plummet through the cloud lining and into the open air. As he watched the world fall around him he felt the inevitable fighting spirit flair up within his chest, but sadly it felt thin and colorless. After all he had put the sad thing through; it was on its last legs.

"Fine, if that's how you want to play it then I'll still win!" Roxas yelled defiantly even as the wind tore the sounds from him, his voice sounded high pitched and warbly though making his war cry not one for the history books. But he had gotten too far to just give up and die. He would find Naminé, protect the people he cared about, and see to it that all those bastards that ever crossed his path paid for what they had done. He unfurled his wings and glided back down to the hotels roof where he saw Axel already waiting for him. Briefly Roxas wondered how long he had been up there and then uncomfortably if Axel had heard him.

Before he landed Axel swept him up into a hug that meant so much and yet was such a simple act. Roxas stuffed his head into Axel chest as he tried to disappear from the world in the protective embrace where all the emotions that had tormented him up in the sky came back in full swing seeing his friend confirm his fears.

He pulled back and stared up into Axels green eyes and knew his eyes showed all the pain he was going through. Axel just gazed down at him with concerned filled eyes before pulling him back against him tighter and whispering, "It's going to be ok, it's going to be ok…." Roxas nodded numbly but even those words of comfort rang hollow to him.

"Yeah I know…" Roxas mumbled letting himself feel horrible for just a few more seconds before he would have to face all this hell head on.

* * *

**Dun Dun, yes I know so much was revealed yet questions still remain. Fortunately for me I know all that is still yet to come so I have no worries in that deptartment. But I don't really classify this as a cliffhanger. I was really torn between either haveing the chapter end in heated passion or tenderness. I ultimatley decided on tenderness but no worries the passion will come and hopefully I don't mess up on writing it.**

**Hope you guys all enjoyed it and if you did leave a review by clicking the button down to either say how much you liked it or hated it or any comments on improvement. Have a great week till the next chapter!  
**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hah, beat that procrastination and thank god for inspiration from amazing songs and awesome reviews. Somehow I was able to crank this chapter out in record time but it will probably still be another week until the next one comes out. **

**I don't own anything ect.  
**

* * *

It was late in the morning before Axel and Roxas were seen again in the confines of the hotel walking down the stairs towards the Commanders office. The conversations that flitted about from the various Nobodies they passed still remained confined on various topics of gossip that were still about normal things such as this girl named Lightning everyone swore was Clouds twin so Roxas felt it was safe to assume that what had happened hadn't gotten out to the masses but he knew that it was only a matter of time until it did. He just hoped it was a long amount of time.

They made a detour to Roxas' room to go pick up an extra sweatshirt and quickly regretted their decision when they saw the sliced up sheets and mattress from Mickey's little visit earlier in the night. Roxas immediately felt white hot anger flare up and his hate for the Commander increased tenfold as he grabbed a sweatshirt that lay on the ground and whipped around leaving his maimed room but not before slamming the door shut. Cold realization swept up on him when he realized that room would never be the same to him again and most likely he wouldn't e able to sleep in there for a very long time but luckily he heard Axel say from behind him, "Yeah, tonight you're going to be sleeping with me now."

Roxas smiled at this as he pulled his sweatshirt over his head and wings while he asked, "How long do you think till the news spreads around the headquarters?" The thought of people knowing what Mickey said and looking at him with thinly veiled hatred at him was not something he was looking forward to. He was barely hanging onto the little fight that was left in his body as it was so he didn't know if he could deal with that on top of everything else.

"Don't think about that Roxas." Axel said in an attempt to alleviate his friends stress, "All we can do is focus on the present."

Roxas watched the oblivious people pass by talking about random things without knowing about what this city had been created to do. Not knowing they had all been suckered in by the false hopes of a better life, a safer life. "I hope your right." Axel gasped after he said that in mock shock.

"Me, wrong?" Roxas, those words never belong in a sentence together unless it involves me proving someone else wrong."

Roxas nodded numbly as they walked down the hallway taking care to avoid eye contact with anybody as he pulled his hood up over his head to hide the black marks on his neck. Luckily their walk to Mickey's office was largely undisturbed. Once they made it to outside the door they heard rustling inside that was revealed to be Cloud looking through the large amount of files coating every surface of the usually clean room. The walls were also predominantly covered by maps and news clippings about what seemed to be an uprising vaccine company called "Organization XIII." Of course these news clippings were from 1995 so that company was probably out of business by now but that didn't stop Roxas from wondering why Mickey had them up in his office.

"Have you found any of evidence to what Mickey said?" Axel asked as he surveyed the room with an annoyed look that showed his distaste in his surroundings. Roxas felt goose bumps rise up on the nape of his neck but he pushed the dread that was growing in his chest down and fell into the familiar routine that was his institute self. With this steely mask on he felt his trepidation ease a bit but it still hung out in the corners of his mind as he lowered his hood down.

Clouds eyes were heavy when he looked up at them a few seconds later, the lack of sleep and stress was catching up on him fast as made apparent by the dark circles under his eyes. Setting the papers he was holding down he leaned on the messy desk for just as much emotional as for physical support as his face fell to the equally messy floor to survey all the papers he had just recently skimmed through.

When Cloud looked back up from the papers strewn desk his eyes confirmed everything that Mickey had said was true in one horrible second. Roxas felt his head give a painful twinge to verify the death that was hanging over his head as well as the bleak future he would have if caught by the military. It was so strong it caused him to flinch as if a physical blow had been dealt upon him.

Staying strong, Cloud pushed forward, "Some of the reports are sketchy at best about you Roxas. It doesn't sound as bad as he made it out to be." Though his words were that of comfort and encouragement, the hollow voice they were spoken in made the sentence one without hope.

Not acknowledging the elephant in the room, Roxas asked with a strong voice, "We need to find this Naminé right? Then we better start sending out teams to start looking for her before the Military can find her if we want any chance at saving this city." His voice was unwavering and his face was blank as he spoke. At the institute he had to worry about dying every day, if he could live though that and stay sane he could do this. If not for his sake, then for everyone else's.

"Roxas I know-"Roxas sent him a glare he usually reserved for enemies to shut him up before he said anything else. He appreciated the sentiment that Axel was trying to portray but he didn't need that now, least of all in front of his brother.

"We need to find Naminé; everything else doesn't matter right now." Roxas turned to Cloud and asked, "Is there any clue from the military radio logs where she may be?" Cloud shook his head as he picked up the papers that were the radio logs and looked them over with weary eyes seeing nothing different from the last time he looked at them.

"All they say is that she disappeared last Tuesday. But Roxas about everything else-" He was cut off by the very same glare that Roxas had sent Axel. It was a glare he had honed at the institute to make the scientists back down and even was able to make the Beast take a step back when he was being particularly sadistic. Right now he didn't need to focus on the clock hanging over his head. They needed to find this girl and save the city. He had to make sure that at least Axel and his brothers were ok. Whatever happened to him was inconsequential at this point and time. Once they were ok, he would go and try to save his own life but until then his main focus would be them.

It would always be them before him if they weren't safe.

"I want to be in one of the teams that go out to look for her." Cloud looked liked he wanted to argue but Roxas continued, "I'll wait for your orders." He gave a stiff salute before walking out of the room leaving Cloud and Axel stunned behind him. As he walked down the almost deserted hallway he reflected on how easy it was to go back into being his institute self before closing that it was ultimately for the best. The less soft he went the better, for everyone.

His ears detected footsteps behind him which he instantly recognized as Axels' by the light footfalls. Roxas didn't know if this was a good or bad thing and decided in the end to just roll with the punches on this one. He didn't know how long it would take Cloud to get teams together to search for this girl called Naminé but he hoped it didn't take too long for all their sakes. They had to get moving on this if they wanted any hope of outmaneuvering those deadly killers employed by the military but for now he was just going to try and bide some time without going insane over thinking things he couldn't control.

Roxas walked with Axel following him until he reached the training grounds in the middle of the hotel that was the park like area. Since it was still morning, there weren't that many people going about their business but that suited him just fine, the less people he had to deal with the better.

As he walked in, he savored the feeling of walking on actual grass before almost regretfully plopping himself down to lean against what looked like an old oak tree. Once Axel had made his way over as well he stood over him but Roxas ignored the shadow that suddenly fell on him in favor of watching a kid he recognized, Vivi he thought was his name, and another kid duel one another while Josef watched over them instructing them in different techniques as they fought. He wondered if in a year if they would be alive or not.

Roxas was brought out of his morbid train of thought by Axel speaking down to him in a concerned tone, "Do you want to talk about it?" Though all Axel was trying to do was help, Roxas wasn't in the mood to talk. Talking never got anything done and only held empty promises and hollow words of comfort. All he wanted to do was take a good hour and relish life while he still had it. After that he would spark up the small flame of fight he had left and carry on.

He let out a sigh before doing his best to smile while he said, "I'm fine, really. This isn't the worst thing that has happened to me this year." Letting the smile drop he motioned for Axel to sit next to him with a quick head tilt to the side. Axel hesitated but in the end he sat down in a fluid movement next to Roxas with his back planted against the bark of the tree and looked out on the landscape with his friend.

"I feel like this will be the last time we will have a moment to ourselves so I just wanted to take the time to enjoy it without thinking about that stuff." Roxas threaded his fingers together and brought his knees to his chest. "I can't help but feel that way no matter how many times I try to persuade myself otherwise." Axels only response was a long sigh and an arm wrapping around Roxas' shoulder pulling him closer.

"Sometimes you can be so stupid." Axel stated resting his chin on Roxas' head as Roxas snuggled into him enjoying the bit of human contact especially since it was Axel. There they sat enjoying each other's company in the face of the overwhelming danger the whole city was in.

Breaking the comfortable silence Roxas asked suddenly, "Do you think we will have a happy ending," Feeling Axel shoot him a questioning look he elaborated, "I mean, do you think all this will work out and we will go on to lead normal lives?" He grimaced at how dumb his question sounded but he felt that Axel was the only one he could ask without feeling to vulnerable. Luckily Axel seemed to take the question seriously and took a moment to think up a good answer to it.

"The way I see it, as long as we stick together things will work out just fine no matter what," he caught Roxas' eye and then added, "Got it memorized?" Roxas chuckled at that and settled back into Axel's side hoping with all his heart that everything would turn out ok. Even if things didn't work out for him, if it did for Axel and his family he thought he would be fine with at least that thought to comfort him in the bleakest of times. "You got to promise me you won't do anything stupid though ok?" Roxas pretended to ignore him prompting Axel to shake him and ask again, "Ok?"

But before Roxas could answer Demyx appeared seemingly out of nowhere and shouted, "HEY GUYS!" This earsplitting cry was a prelude to all the shit that was coming their way. "Cloud told me to come get you guys for a mission briefing!" Seeing the annoyed look on Axels face he carried on not the least bit discouraged, "All the operatives are to meet in the ballroom…" He trailed off and Roxas saw that his eyes were fixated on his neck. "What happened to you?"

Axel pushed himself off the ground, "We heard you Demyx we're going, you can go round up all the other sad shmucks that have to deal with you now." He started to walk away with Roxas trailing behind him as Demyx stamped his foot on the ground in frustration and felt the water surge just at the tips of his fingertips as he longed to drop a giant vat of water on the cocky pyrokinetics head but as he watched them walk away he let his hand fall back to his side as he felt the cold realization once again that Axel would never like him like he did Roxas. Kicking at the dirt under his feet he turned around and went to hunt down Tidus.

But across the courtyard, as Roxas and Axel entered the opposite side of the building Roxas thought, "And so it begins."

* * *

"The Seekers have narrowed down where Naminé can be into five distinct areas." Cloud explained in front of the crowd of Operatives that had been specially selected to take part in this important mission. A giant map had been hung up behind Cloud depicting the city with five red circles that showed the areas he had referenced. "We will be sending out teams of three to go into each area to try and find her before the Military can. You will have two days to find her before you are to report back so tonight once it gets dark you are to take shelter in the bases we have established around the city."

Cloud put his hands behind his back and continued as he stared into the faces of the brave men and women that made up this elite group. "This will not be an easy mission. You will have to contend with the local gangs that hide out in these locations, the heartless that will be at your throat after dark, and the military that is currently hunting down this girl as well. If we succeed though, we will have finally found the cure to this virus and save this city!" This last sentence was met with cries of agreement as the hardened veterans voiced their approval.

Roxas and Axel were the only ones that stayed silent throughout the thrilling speech for they knew exactly what they were up against having experienced it firsthand. They also knew exactly what was at stake if they failed; the dark stains that lay on Roxas' face were testimony to that. Cloud started to list off the teams but Roxas was only listening half heartily for who their teammate was going to be. What he heard though was not what he was expecting.

"Team Three will be Sora, Riku and Roxas. You guys will go to the Whispering Heights Districts but be careful, that's where the Blue Moons and Wood Crows are known to forage." Roxas though didn't focus on where they were going; all he knew was that he wasn't on the same team as Axel and for some reason that just seemed utterly wrong.

"I think we may have a problem with that." Axel said drawing the attention of all the Operatives. They stared at him but no one was surprised by his reaction, it had become common knowledge of the relationship between Roxas and Axel that had developed over this harrowing month.

"Calm down Axel, me and Riku will take care of him." Sora commented lightly pushing his way through the crowd with Riku silently by his side. He had become his old self remarkably fast after Roxas had come back and now was happier than ever having both of his brothers with him again. Axel didn't appreciate how Sora brushed this subject off though by the way he shot a glare at the perky brunette. "Besides I think me and Roxas need to have at least one mission together. Isn't that right dorky dork?"

Roxas rubbed his neck awkwardly feeling his brother smile expectantly at him while Axel was fuming behind him. "Well you see Sora it's..." He trailed off seeing Cloud walk up behind Sora and Riku.

"I'm sorry Roxas; the teams I selected were picked for a reason. Axel will be with Demyx and Tidus while you're with Sora and Riku." He turned to Axel while Sora looked a tad lost. "I need you with Tidus and Demyx, that is your usual team and this is a dangerous mission so it is called for." Axel let out a low hiss of air trying to calm himself down from this blatant disregard Cloud was tossing their way.

"That is Bullshit! You and I know that's not the reason why you chose these teams." Their eyes were locked but Cloud didn't back down and seemed as cool and in control as he usually did. He was second in command for a reason.

"It doesn't matter what you think Axel. These are the teams I assigned so if you don't like it you won't be assigned to any team at all. Do I make myself clear?" Cloud asked with an ice cold voice that Roxas hadn't heard for years. He was angry to about the set up but that voice brought up memories that were hard to disregard. Thinking fast, he pulled Axel by the arm away from the crowd of people off to the side signally to Cloud they would be right back.

Once they were out of sight Axel pulled his arm free and crossed it in front of his chest daring Roxas to try and make this ok. "I don't like it but I think we have to do this." Before Axel could tell him a piece of his mind he explained further, "We are the only ones that truly know what we're going to face on this mission so it only makes sense that is spread out so we have a better chance of finding this girl and we have to find her." Axel rubbed at his face, as much as he hated to admit it Roxas' reasoning was sound though it was grating to hear.

"Sometimes I hate you." Axel said blandly jutting out his chin.

"No you don't." Roxas retorted back without missing a beat. Axel rolled his eyes but didn't deny this fact. Instead he leaned down in a simple movement and captured Roxas' mouth with his own.

For a single moment, Roxas was in rapture, but just as quickly as it was upon him; it disappeared as Axel leaned back a few inches from his face and whispered, "You better come back alive Roxy." With that he walked past Roxas to head out with his team into the Blacklight District. Roxas just sat there with his wings all fluffed up in shock. Had that just happened was all his mind could process. Finally, he was able to shake himself out and walk in a daze back to where his brother and Riku were at waiting for him hoping he could get his breathing under control.

Cloud was gone by the time he got back though and most if not all the operatives had left the room besides Sora and Riku. "So, Whispering Heights huh? Isn't that where all the rich people used to live?" Sora said once Roxas got close enough. Roxas just shrugged still feeling electricity race through his body as he tried to will the blush that had crept up on his face to go away.

"I doubt there are any rich people there now, only Blue Moons and Wood Crows now but hopefully we won't run into any." Riku explained to Sora who nodded. Riku then looked around at the empty room and then back to his new team. "Let's go get our packs from Cid and then we can head out."

And with that statement, the mission had gone underway.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky by the time they arrived with backpacks slung over their backs in the Whispering Heights district that was their designated spot to search. Sora suddenly threw his hands up into the air and grabbed fistfuls of his hair as he leaned back and exclaimed, "Why is it again we can't drive cars in this city!" Roxas couldn't have agreed more though the temperature was cool with a slight wind to keep any heat from building up it was a rather tedious journey so far even with the use of Rikus portals.

"Because Sora, the noise would attract unwanted attention that we don't need right now." Riku explained as he rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. Sora's only response was to stick his tongue out at Riku before deliberately walking faster to fall into step with Roxas.

Sora looked like he was ready to start complaining loudly about how Riku was a jerk and so forth but Roxas cut him off before he could get a single word out by handing him his backpack. Sora looked at the object now in his hand in confusion before giving Roxas a questioning look. "I'm going to fly ahead and see if any of the gangs are around, I'll be back in fifteen minutes. If I am going to be any longer I'll send you a text." Luckily this time he didn't have to take off his sweatshirt to fly because he had cut in slits before they left not caring if Riku and Sora looked at his wings.

"So you get to go off on a flying adventure while Riku and I get to walk. That is just grreeattt." Sora said sarcastically slinging the extra backpack on. Roxas just laughed before taking off in a sprint down the road extending his wings out as he ran before tensing his muscles and springing into the air while simultaneously flapping his wings until he was able to rise high into the air. It was a ten out of ten takeoff leaving both Sora and Riku speechless having never seen Roxas fly before.

As for Roxas, even though he had flown before it was still a breathtaking experience to see the city below him but he didn't let the feeling distract him for long as he made his way over the rooftops to peer down on the streets that may have gangs patrolling or foraging about. The buildings were all well built and had that look to them that showed they had once held the elite group of millionaires that had chose to make this city their home. Sadly now they all showed signs of ransacking and heartless attacks diminishing the grander they had once possessed.

The minutes passed by as Roxas glided lazily on the updrafts seeing no hide or hair of any other Nobodies about, just deserted street after deserted street. He stifled a yawn as he banked to the right to start back to Riku and Sora when he saw a building that stood out from the rest. Becoming curious and noting he had five minutes left he landed on a roof that was opposite of this building and gazed in wonderment at the most elaborately built library he had ever seen.

Words couldn't describe the splendor that was this building was with its grand staircase that rivaled the one Rocky had run up on and its pillars that rose from the ground to hold up the roof with statues of angels gazing down at the ground. Even though the past four months had been hard on it, it seemed to have become more regal than it could have possibly been in its heyday.

But it wasn't just the fact that this building was still standing tall and proud. It was the fact that Roxas felt something drawing him to it with an incredible amount of force. It was so powerful he had unconsciously walked up to the edge of the building to get closer to it. Shaking his head he stepped back out of the falling zone but he still couldn't rid himself of the feeling that was calling him into the building. When his foot took another step without him knowing he knew that he had to go into this building, the problem was did he wait for Sora and Riku to catch up or go in alone?

His answer came in digging around in his pocket and withdrawing his cell phone out to type in a quick text telling Sora and Riku to keep looking while he looked into something by himself. Clicking send, he shoved it back in while he leapt off the building using his wings as a parachute as he descended through the air to land roughly on the ground below.

But as he ran across the street and up the stairs he couldn't help but hear Axels words repeat over and over in his head, "You got to promise me you won't do anything stupid though ok?" Screwing his eyes shut he kept on running, "Sorry Axel."

It wasn't long before he made it up the colossal amount of stairs and to the grand entrance that towered above him with elaborate carving decorating it in such a fashion to allure even the illiterate into its hallowed halls. The insides though hadn't fared as well as the outside for it bore the tell tale signs of ran sackings to such a degree it appeared to had been gutted of anything useful and valuable though the workman ship in the building itself was just as beautiful as the outside had been.

Spiral staircases lead up to the ceiling and served as a single gateway to every floor that was created. Only two were still intact as the others had been either torn down or damaged enough to no longer be functional.

Roxas couldn't help but notice all the books that were littered on the floor as he made his way deeper into the underbelly of the building. They must not have been deemed useful enough to have been carted away. He picked one up that was titled "Angels and Demon" before letting it fall back to the ground as a wave of what felt like a physical tug washed over him.

He made his way to the center of the library where a giant mural was created on the floor to make it appear as if you were standing on top a waterfall but this wasn't where the tug was leading him to. Standing in the middle of the mural he looked up to see a hole in the ceiling extending up through the entire library with each floor being able to lean over and see the detailed mural.

Whatever was calling him was up there so without missing a beat, he bent his knees before surging up into the air through the hole. As he passed through every floor he briefly saw the mayhem that was the first floor recreated on every other one with none being spared. Soon though, he made it to the top floor where he landed softly. Scanning his surroundings he saw that this floor had been treated more like a reading room rather than a place to store books.

He drew his wings back onto his back as he walked forward feeling the tug increase in intensity. A giant window stretched out in front of him that held what could only be described as an emblem of a giant heart with a giant X crossing through it. As he got closer he realized a long figure sat at the window gazing softly out of it. The person must have heard him approach for they stood up and faced him allowing the light to illuminate them in a dazzling moment.

It was a girl roughly around his age with the palest skin and hair he had ever seen but she had the stunning blue eyes that lit up her face. She wore a simple white dress that hugged her body closely and was cut off very short but he didn't notice these features for long because he knew her.

"You found me Roxas."

* * *

**Its all thanks to DarkLyteDemon and easy mac that this chapter came out as fast as it did. The fact that its the weekend didn't hurt its chances either. I hope you guys all liked, for a while it felt like the plot was dragging but BAM its started to pick up again and soon with will be over. **

**More pictures of scenes from this chapter will be on my deviantart page for all those who are curious. Again I hope you guys liked it and I hope you are looking forward to the next chapter. And if you review I might be able to get the next chapter out sooner than in a week.  
**


	32. Chapter 32

**Man did this chapter come out easily or what! One week I am having the worst writers block ever and the next the words are practically pouring out of me. As I wrote this the scenes played out with such clarity I thought I was watching a movie.**

**I don't own anything and I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

"You found me Roxas" The girl said calmly extending a slender hand out to him beckoning him forward as her eyes seemed to light up and shine with intensity. The wind that blew in from the giant holes in the stained glass window she stood in front of made her dress flutter around her small frame making her appear even ghostlier in the gloomy exterior where they stood than before. Seeing he wasn't going to come to her, she took a step forward and though Roxas tried to take a step back to keep a good distance between them he found that the pull that had brought him here in the first place still had a hold on him which took him by surprise resulting him in taking a step forward instead.

Her bare feet left footprints in the dust that coated the wooden floor as she walked towards him with a small smile on that grew larger as the distance between them was halved. Even though Roxas knew without a doubt that this was the girl that had been haunting his dreams and waking moments he couldn't help but start to feel uneasy at the amount of control she seemed to be able to exercise over him without any apparent effort on her part. It didn't help that he had barreled into this situation without even telling Sora and Riku where he was at and defying the one thing Axel as asked of him but before panic could encompass him she stopped before he became to unsettled. There was still about three feet apart which left a good amount of breathing room to settle down his beating heart.

He tried to speak but found his mouth had gone completely dry so instead of an intelligence sentence a noise that resembled something between a cough and croak came out causing the girl to laugh lightly, her eyes crinkling in the corners in apparent good humor. Then, just like in the dream, she put a single finger to her lips and shook her head before bringing that hand down to gently graze her chest as she spoke, "My name is Naminé." Even though Roxas had suspected they were one in the same he still couldn't help but feel a small bit of surprise hearing it confirmed from the source itself. "I was created for the sole purpose of being the cure for the Heartless virus but I am a Nobody as well with a special power." She took another step forward but this time Roxas was able to resist and stand his ground.

"For you see, I felt your heart calling to me when you were at Building Three." Seeing Roxas' confused expression at this statement she smiled softly before explaining further, "When I was created I gained unplanned powers to connect to people's hearts, even now I am not sure what this power is meant to do and how it works. I just know I have it." At that she looked sadly at the ground, the spark in her eyes leaving for just a second as she reflected on something that was a mystery to Roxas before looking back and saying, "But with it I was able to find you Roxas."

Naminé turned around and gazed at the ornately made stained glass window and said slowly, "Your heart houses so much pain and suffering that I could hear it crying from half way across the city." She cradled her hands together as if she was holding a tiny beating heart close to her own, "But even now I can feel all the hope you still hide inside it despite your best efforts to keep it at bay as well as love that is newly blossomed within it." She let her hands fall to her sides, "I have never felt anything like it and that's how I knew you were like me." Her eyes were now shining with barely held back tears.

Though this girl was no threat to his safety, Roxas couldn't help but feel alarmed because when she had pretended to hold a heart it had felt as if a hand had closed over his own gripping it gently. "Because of that I was able to keep in contact with you even after you had left the premises of the building." A shadow fell on her face giving her a creepy look as she said "And because you are who you are you were able to fine me."

Feeling saliva return to his dry mouth he was able to say, "I need to get you back to my Headquarters, you're in danger here." She shook her head causing her pale blonde hair to swing back and forth in an alluring matter that almost made him take a step forward before he caught himself. Something wasn't right.

"Not yet Roxas. There's still something very important to discuss." Her eyes grew serious and seemed to darken in color, "Every second your heart pumps your black stained blood through your veins you are closer to a fate worse than death." Another step was taken by her to reduce the gap between them by one measly foot. "The Scientists that worked on you went too far even for what they were trying to achieve but I can help you Roxas because now that we have finally met I can stop the taint from spreading any further than it has."

She reached her right hand out to gently cup Roxas' face where the dark stain that had remained no matter how hard he scrubbed lay. "It won't be long until there is only black in your body and the light will no longer come to your hand." Her hand dropped from its place on his face to being on his chest. He felt his heart beat speed up involuntarily by this brazen move but she didn't seem to notice or mind as a small smile played on her lips. She then proceeded to close her eyes and tilt her head up to the sky.

Instantly his heart felt tugged in two directions as the pain descended upon him in what felt like a wave crashing down upon him at full force but he soon found he couldn't wrench himself away from the hand that kept a steady contact on his chest. As he squirmed internally, his gut twisted in place as the familiar feeling of the light rushing through him took place without his consent resulting in the energy streaming from his hands. It slowly built up on the floor until it started to dance in a circle around them. Another painful tug eclipsed his heart as she put another hand under the previous one to increase the pressure that was descending down on him.

This lead to another color joining the streaming lights that swirled through the air. Inky blackness joined the concert of lights as they worked up in a crescendo with each second leading more pain to pile up in his heart combined with his head. His wings fluffed up and extended involuntarily from the pain but Naminé didn't let up from whatever she was doing. She leaned in close to him and rested her forehead above her right hand in the hollow between his neck and collar bone. By this time the lights had mixed with the dark to form a swirling pillar that rushed around them in a dazzling display that would have left him breathless any day but that feeling right now was being caused by the intense amount of pain that was slowly growing form each contact point Naminé had on him.

As the pain built up the lights expanded out around them until it became too much and the hold on him broke enough for him to open his mouth in a silent scream that rocked his body.

"It's almost over. Just hold on" Naminé whispered before wrenching her hands and head away from contact with him. And then, just like that, the lights were gone and the only proof they had been there at all were the marks in the dust. Roxas felt his legs crumpled out from under him as he fell in a heap to the floor as if gravity had suddenly become too powerful to fight anymore. The force of his body colliding with the hard ground resulted in his phone slipping out of his pocket and skidding across the floor to some unknown corner leaving a trail in the grim in its wake.

He was still conscious though as he lay on the floor feeling the pain start to slip away to wherever it slumbered. Slowly he noticed the liquid rolling down his face as well but just the fact that whatever had just happened was over left him grateful.

He felt more than saw Naminé knelt down next to him before settling into a sitting position where her eyes looked sad but hopefully at him as she reached a hand out to gently brush his bangs out of his face and away from the black liquid. He tried to move away from this contact but his limbs refused to obey him again so all that happened were his wings twitching from the effort.

She began to hum a small tune while continuing to pet his forehead in a soothing matter while whispering something he couldn't make out in his current state of being.

Off in a dark corner of the room Roxas' phone lit up and vibrated showing he had received a text from Sora but he wasn't going to be able to answer that any time soon.

* * *

"It's been an hour and he still hasn't answered my text to where he's at." Sora complained as him and Riku walked down the street looking for any clues that may indicate the girl had passed through. He snapped his phone shut and stuffed it back into his pocket before shifting the backpacks he carried into more comfortable position.

"I'm sure he's fine. He didn't say how long he was going to be but I'm sure he will be back anytime now." Riku didn't want to admit but even he was starting to get a tad nervous to where Sora's brother was at as well. It wasn't safe to go investigate a place alone, let alone not tell the people you were with where or what place that was. "If we keep looking for Naminé then most likely we will happen upon him as well."

"I guess you're right but I still wish he would answer me back." Sora replied half heartily before stopping in his tracks and putting a hand on Rikus shoulder to stop him as well. He shushed him before he could ask any questions and listened intently before whispering. "We're not alone."

"You got that right tiger." A man's voice mocked them. Sora and Riku whipped around searching for the voice but saw no one as they settled into their finely honed battle stances. They recognized the voice from their time at Building Three but couldn't quite place it. "Oh where could I be?" The man called out, "Am I here, or there?"

"Coward! Come out and face us." Sora demanded summoning Ultima to his hand while Riku did the same but with his Way to the Dawn. They stood back to back as they scanned their surroundings in vain to find this lone demon that was haunting their steps. The voice quieted down as the world seemed to spin faster for a second.

Sora's eyes widened as a man descended through the air appearing out of nowhere to land on the roof of what used to be Mama's little Bakery. "Xigbar," Was all Sora could utter before the one eyed man pointed his twin pistols at them. Sora pushed back on his feet to send Riku sprawling out forward while he dodged to the side to narrowly miss the bullets that were aimed for their hearts. He didn't stop though once he hit the ground, instead he dashed forward out of his sidestep and threw his keyblade through the air right at the Freeshooter but sadly it was deflected with a single swipe of the hand.

"You will have to do better than that tiger to beat me." He gave them a cocky smile as he brought his guns up once more to let loose a torrential wave of bullets that seemed to have no end. Sora quickly summoned his keyblade back to his hand to do his best to deflect the bullets that hailed down upon him but there was too many resulting in some getting past his guard to pierce into his flesh sprinkling blood onto the pavement. Grimacing he saw that Riku had fared no better than him but was quickly recovering and looked to be planning a new move. Clicking of metal together brought his attention up to where Xigbar stood to see him strap both of his weapons together to form a new one.

"Get ready for a new kind of hell boys."

* * *

Roxas felt a tingling sensation begin to start in his fingertips as he tried to will movement back into them. He had never felt more vulnerable than he did now but yet he couldn't do a thing about it as Naminé continued to sit next him as he recuperated from whatever the hell she had done to him. Her fingers were splayed out on his forehead as she gently rubbed it up and down in a soothing rhythm that he would have enjoyed any other day with someone he knew but not with a girl that had seemingly endless control over him.

Trying to bide some time before she did something else he asked, "What did you do to me?" He hoped his voice didn't sound as squeaky and hoarse as it did to him. Right now wasn't the time to be the victim, especially with Riku and Sora out there without him in enemy territory.

Naminé took a while to answer but finally she let her hand rest on his forehead and met his eyes. "I did the only thing I could do, halt the spread of the taint inside you." She picked back up on the motion of rubbing before continuing, "I don't know how long it will last but it has bought me some time in order to think of a more permanent solution." She looked wistful for a moment before adding, "I did not know this would happen when I attempted it, I am truly sorry."

"Me to…but thanks for doing what you did." Roxas half heartily, he knew he should be down on his knees thanking this girl if what she said was truly true but in the position he was now he didn't feel that thankful. She seemed to pick up on this underlying message enough to stop her patting and return her roaming hands to her lap.

"I know how you must be feeling, heh, I DO know what you are feeling because of my connection with you." She pointed at her heart and tried to smile but it cracked unintentionally. "You don't know how lucky you really are though Roxas. You were only there for three months, I have been trapped my entire life." Roxas instantly felt a stab of guilt but didn't say anything. "So many needles and so many tests, I practically see them all the time now." She shivered though the weather was sunny and warm. "Over in that corner is Brute," Naminé said as she pointed to an empty corner. "He's there holding up an injection of _vitamins_." Her voice became low and full of loathing. "And over there is Hojo with his hands outreaching towards me with promises of reprieve from the pain and loneliness but he only holds more suffering than I could ever imagine existed."

Her hands balled up into fists on her lap drawing her dress taut from the pressure she was pushing down on it. Roxas tried to see her face but found it was obscured by her locks of hair cascading down the sides of her face. She shook softly like a leaf in a breeze, "I thought the pain would go away when I met you Roxas but it seems to only have increased." Drops of clear liquid fell on her white dress that Roxas recognized instantly as tears. "It's not your fault though Roxas, the pain comes from something else that I hadn't recognized before until now." Her eyes met with his for a brief moment before she sniffed loudly and brought a hand up to wipe away the tears trailing down her mottled face.

Sensing that movement had returned to his arm, Roxas lifted up one of his hands and gently held one of her hands in a silent gesture of comfort that seemed to show enough to calm her down fully. "Thank you Roxas." Her eyes perked up a moment later and it took a second for Roxas to realize why. His wings had twitched from some reason and had caught her attention. "I forgot about your wings, an unplanned side effect not unlike my powers." She stood up and stepped carefully over Roxas' sprawled body as he did his best to move his head to watch her sit down on the other side of him next to his wings. They were all mottled and torn with a skew of feathers that needed to be picked out but he had never around to managing them. "They're so beautiful."

"Wait please I don't-agh!" Roxas started to say before getting cut off by Naminé beginning to finger his wings without warning. Though she was gentle and didn't pull or spread them out the utter revulsion he felt in the pit of his stomach stopped any senses of pleasure from building up. The only positive side effect was it somehow started to let the feeling return to his limbs faster than it had been. Naminé remained oblivious to the uneasiness she was inflicting on Roxas as she patted the feathers softly and pushed on the wings softly to see where they emerged from his back.

"Can you really fly? I've seen it through your heart but it just doesn't seem feasible." She asked before Roxas was able to haul himself up and flop down a few feet away from where she sat drawing his wings in tight. He pushed up on his elbows drawing his knees into his chest as his back arched into the air as he fought to stand. Naminé just watched him with interest as he got into a sitting position with his hands digging into his knees as the strength ebbed away. "Answer my question and I'll help you."

Looking at her with a disbelieving stare he said, "Yes," bluntly trying to show her his annoyance but failing looking in such disarray as he did. Taking this for a suitable answer she wandered over to him and brought his arm over her shoulder and helped him into a standing position as his muscles creaked from being cramped up and tensed for so long.

"I guess that's enough alone time, where is this headquarters you mentioned?" In between breaths he directed her to get his cell phone first which was starting to gather dust over in the corner while he started to roll his arms and legs out trying to get the feeling to return faster. Once that had been achieved she and Roxas started down the room to the staircase that would be their ticket out of here while Roxas clicked open his phone to see multiple texts awaiting him from Sora. They all detailed the same thing with each having worse spelling than the last, Xigbar had found them and they needed help.

Clicking his phone shut with a curse he said "Friends that I came with are under attack, we have to hurry." He felt strength return suddenly as the thought of losing his brother cut out any other distraction that was inhibiting his movement. He was practically pulling Naminé along by the time they got to the spiral staircase. They started down slow but picked up confidence as the precarious staircase seemed to be solid and didn't shake in the least bit. As they walked Roxas felt his phone buzz let him know of a text message coming his way. He reached in and clicked it open to see that it was from Sora.

He was just about to read it when he heard a large crack rang out and reverberated through the echoy halls of the library. Naminé let out a gasp and pointed at the wall of the building where a long winding crack was forming. Before they could get their bearing on what was happening, the tremor arrived. The spiral staircase had been well build but even it did not have the capacity to survive under this onslaught as it began to creak and moan halting the two Nobodies progress.

Naminé held back a scream as her lips went white from terror as the staircase threatened to collapse underneath them at any second as the earth gave another shudder. Thinking fast Roxas yelled over the noise, "Hold onto me!" He wasn't quite sure if she understood but she hugged him tightly without letting go. He barely had the ability to use his normal limbs but he had no choice, kicking off the banister that was in his way he held tightly on to Naminé and stepped off with her in tow while opening his wings to create a makeshift parachute. Normally this would have been no big deal if he was by himself but with the extra weigh he didn't know how it would pan out.

They hadn't jumped a minute to soon though for the staircase finally collapsed on itself in a marvelous display of mortar and wood raising up a cloud of dust and debris. Naminé covered her eyes as they dropped at an alarming rate but Roxas knew that though they were falling fast the fall wouldn't be deadly. They fell through the cloud and hit the ground hard tumbling out of it a second later, bruises forming almost instantly.

They didn't have much to rest though as the building still shook under the massive tremors that hadn't let up since the first one. Half crawling, half running, Roxas pulled Naminé up from where she fell and pushed her forward as he fought with all his might to get the kinks out of his muscles and return full feeling to them. He didn't have much time to do that as debris had started to fall from the ceiling as the building began to collapse in on itself from the massive earthquake that had begun to take place.

As they ran they dodged the boulder size ceiling clumps to the front door but Roxas wasn't sure they would make it in time before the building did away with itself. Gritting his teeth he ran even faster pulling Naminé along by her arm. His legs felt as if they were weighed down by sand but now was not the time to slow down as he saw the light from the door in his vision as debris threatened to close it up during each passing second. Putting on one more burst of speed he maneuvered over the rubble with Naminé and threw her out the door before ultimately doing the same himself. It was just in time as well for just as his feet passed the threshold of the door wreckage fell down obscuring the insides of the library from sight.

Not waiting for the cracking pillars to fall on them, Roxas pushed off the ground and barreled into Naminé before kicking off the top of the stairs to glide down and away from the dyeing building that was threatening to keep them in its walls. He wasn't able to keep his wings open for long though and had to fold them in at the last second resulting in their rough skidding into the ground. Roxas heard Naminé hiss in pain but he couldn't join her in expressing his pain for a dark shadow had descended over him and her.

Growling in anger, he looked up to the see the silent giant that he had come to know all too well during his brief stay at Building Three. The giant let out a grunt as he brought his hammer up high over his head to smash down on the pair. Roxas had only seconds to summon his keyblade to his hand and even as he swung up the still forming weapon he didn't know if he would be in time. The great clash that resounded and the fact that they still breathed proved it had been. Even so Roxas struggled against the immense weapon that was wielding by the equally huge man. As he struggled he tried to catch Naminé's eyes to indicate she needed to get out of there.

She seemed to be in shock though so he was forced to act before the bludgeon forced him all the way down. Bracing against the ground with the arm for a split second he pushed against the hammer with all his might to force it to the right as he shot out a leg to make contact with the man's face. His foot felt as if it had collided with a solid wall but he kept up the momentum by snapping his wings open and leaping over the man by using the hammer as a pivot. He landed lightly and turned around tightly to smash his keyblade into the man's spine.

Then with the speed that didn't seem capable in a man's so huge, the Nobody spun around and sent his hammer colliding into Roxas side sending him through the air ultimately skidding to a stop. Luckily just before the hammer had hit he had been able to deflect it a measly amount with his keyblade preventing any broken bones from occurring but bruises would soon coat that side like a deadly shade. Staggering to his feet he saw the man was no longer focused on him but on Naminé.

"Lexaeus…please…" Naminé whisper sounding as if she was in disbelief by the way she spoke but also held a deep undercurrent of control by the way she held herself. Though she had cuts lining her arms and a bruise starting to form on her cheek as she stood up and started to approach Lexaeus with a hand extended out to him while her other hand was on her heart she seemed calm and collected. Roxas watched in fear mixed with fascination as Lexaeus lifted his lips and gritted his teeth as if fighting some unknown force that had descended upon him.

"Stop witch, you will not control me!" Roxas's eyes widened as he saw Lexaeus raise his quivering hand aloft with his giant hammer of a weapon in it along with a deadly glint in his eyes. Gritting his teeth, Roxas ran forward and arrived just in time to grab Naminé and pull her out of the way just as the hammer smashed down where she had once been. This seemed to take the edge of her calmness but she still pushed away Roxas' grip and walked back up to Lexaeus who seemed to be on edge.

She shot a hand out which seemed to grip the air as the wind blew by menacingly enhancing the already fearful atmosphere as the clouds darkened the sky. "You will obey me." Naminé said darkly as her hand closed further on the air while in result Lexaeus clutched at his heart letting his weapon fall to the ground. "Or you will die." The whites of the man's eyes showed as he raised his head to the air and let out a hoarse roar while the earth trembled softly underfoot.

Roxas looked on as Naminé tortured the man with no effort and seemingly with a tad bit of joy. Raising her chin up she stared at the man with all the pity gone from her eyes to be replaced with utter revulsion. "Now you get to experience just a one percent of what I've been through you Bastard." She moved with her hand now held up high as if to finish the job but before she could close her hand shut something whizzed through the air and cracked her in the head. She staggered where she stood and as if in confusion she touched her head before falling to the ground. Unconscious before she hit the road with a thud.

Without waiting to see what had shot her or what was going on with Lexaeus, Roxas ran to her and expanded his wings out to shield her as he leaned over to make sure she was still alive. He couldn't help it, yes she had terrifying powers over people but he couldn't forget seeing her in the library attic so vulnerable and hurt by what these people had done to her. In order to ward off Lexaeus he summoned his keyblade to his hand and held it aloft as a warning to stay away.

"Thank you Xigbar, she almost had me." Lexaeus' booming voice called out as he shook his head vigorously as if trying to physically remove any traces of power Naminé had had over him. Roxas felt his heart speed up at the mention that there were apparently two of them near him. This was not going his way. Picking her up he started to back away from Lexaeus only to see Xigbar appear out of space to his left with the usual cocky grin on his face.

"Sorry it took me awhile, had to get away from those pesky friends of his." He looked at his gun as it glinted in the sun menacingly, "Fortunately for me, it wasn't too difficult."

What he was insinuating made Roxas' blood boil causing him to almost drop Naminé on the ground and lunge towards him with his keyblade but he held back, his phone had recently buzzed so Sora and Riku had to be ok. But right now he was in trouble, two Nobodies by themselves wouldn't have been too bad, he could have just tried to fly away but with Naminé being unconscious, well, this was going to be difficult.

**

* * *

Does Roxas get himself into trouble or what? But no worries this will not turn in a Namine/Roxas fic. This is a akuroku all the way even if it doesn't show in this chapter.**

**Interesting fact though: In this fics very early planning stages it was actually a Namine/Roxas fic with Namine actually having her own pair of wings but in the end I seemed to bland for my tastes.**

**The next chapter will be up in a week or sooner depending on how much inspiration I get, review do not stint this process in the least bit, in fact they speed it up.  
**

**See ya in a week!  
**


	33. Chapter 33

**If the last chapter had been as easy as hell to write this one was the exact opposite. I don't even know why, it was pretty straight forward to write but just something made everything I wrote feel wrong and I kept erasing and blah, anywho it is done now.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Reeking-Havic who drew a beautiful piece of fanart for this fanficiton, you can find the link in my profile.**

**Again thank you for all teh wonderful reviews that have been wrote for this thing, they are my main source of motivation and are always cherished. **

**I don't own anything Kingdom Hearts related, final fantasy, ect.**

* * *

Holding Naminé close, he spread his wings out in an instinctive move to make himself appear larger but he knew in his head that wasn't going to do much good against two deadly Nobodies that wanted him dead. As his eyes flicked about to take in his situation he noticed Xigbar seemed to be treating the entire thing like a joke the way he was playing with his guns but under that false pretense he was ready for anything by the deadly look in his eyes. Lexaeus seemed to be angry by the way he was holding his hand against his heart and breathing rapidly with his curly hair in disarray. Whatever Naminé had done to him did little to help his personality.

As Roxas took stock of his surroundings and tried to back away from the two men, the clouds overhead kept rolling in becoming darker with each second and mottling out the sun. If they didn't finish this soon, with the sun gone the Heartless would have free reign on the city. Xigbar seemed to think the same as he dismissed his weapons and took a step closer to the agitated Roxas with a loose and easy gait.

"Look kiddo, we're not here to hurt you. Just come with us and this won't have to be any harder than it has to be." His cocky grin returned as he took another step forward, "Besides Roxas, don't you see, you're one of us. You belong in our group. It's the only place you will ever truly belong."

Then in a surprise turn of events, Xigbar stuck his hand in his pocket and withdrew a knife which he promptly used to slice into his arm to create an inch long nick into his arm which in turned started to bleed. He held his arm out in display to Roxas so he could see the black and red blood that trickled down his pale arm in a gruesome visage, "Just like you." He said simply as he pocketed the blade and gave Roxas a long hard look that looked oddly right on his face, "It's only going to get worse if you don't get help. I've seen the reports and they aren't pretty." Roxas felt his wings puff out even further at these outright lies that were being thrown in his face with such a sincere voice.

"Help me?" Roxas asked in utter disbelief. "All the STUFF you have done to me in the belief of _helping_ me has screwed me over!" Roxas yelled feeling his frustration wash over him as Xigbar had the balls to claim that their only motive in this all this shit was to help him. Well FUCK that! There was no way in hell he was ever going to believe a lie as blatant as that.

Xigbar just shrugged in response not looking the least bit frazzled by the venom dripping from Roxas' voice. "Your choice kid, though we need you alive that doesn't mean we will go easy on you." Xigbar remarked flippantly as he summoned his two gun like weapons and pointed them at Naminé, "Also I don't think you will be much of a threat with that baggage holding you back." He taunted with the edge of cockiness in his voice increasing in intensity as time passed and victory seemed certain.

"Stop screwing around Xigbar, let's finish this." Lexaeus seemed to have fully recovered by this time and had a grim face that promised much pain for Naminé in the future by the way he was looking at her. In response Roxas held her closer to his chest to try and ward the glare away from her though he still have no idea what he was going to do to protect her as well as himself from these Nobodies intent on capturing him and her.

Ignoring Lexaeus' advice Xigbar continued on, "You really have no chance kiddo, just hand her over and then you and I can have a long drawn out fight before ultimately you get knocked out if that would help to preserve what little pride you have left." Xigbar taunted as he lazily walked to the right not taking the situation seriously at all. "It's only going to end the same way with either you being conscious or not but either way you're coming with us. It's up to you." Xigbar rolled his shoulders out while he spoke preparing for the inevitable battle that was about to take place.

"Fuck off!" Roxas yelled back wanting nothing more than to throw his keyblade at the eye patched man and wipe that stupid grin off the face of the earth forever. Xigbar only laughed at this threat and bent over from the force of it. Roxas felt as if he had been slapped in the face. At least Lexaeus seemed to be taking this seriously even though he was still clutching at his hammer tightly and watching Naminé with his tiny piercing eyes.

"You should see your face! You really weren't made for these kinds of emotion." This only made Roxas growl in fury, but then he cut it off with a start. This is what they wanted him to do, for him to lose control and not think about what repercussions his actions might warrant. Biting the inside of his cheek he forced himself to slow down, think and revaluate his position.

His venues of options were limited with having Lexaeus being a pain in the ass on the ground and Xigbar having the ability to guard the skies with his ability to bend space. He could try and fight but with Naminé being in the condition that she was that was almost out of the picture with them being able to possibly sneak up and steal her away when he was occupied. Licking his lips in agitation he saw Xigbar lose the humor in his eyes to be replaced with a sinister sort of laughter as he raised his guns aloft.

"No more playing around kiddo, time to get this job done." Lexaeus nodded in agreement behind him as he lofted his hammer to his shoulder, their shadows becoming less visible with each moment the clouds swept up overhead.

"You're right for once." Keeping his icy glare up Roxas raised his hand high above his head and released all the energy he could into one gigantic blast of light that lit the road up and blinding the two Nobodies that were unprepared for this course of action instantly. He felt the energy leave his body in a flash which resulted in his first step becoming a stumble but that didn't hinder his sprint for long as he took off down the road only to hear the clash of a hammer ring through the air and to feel the road suddenly rear up from under him in an attempt to buck him off.

Instinctively Roxas jumped and opened his wings to soften his fall onto the next piece of ground that was beginning to revolt against the ground. Knowing that this wasn't going to end he ducked into the first alleyway he saw in an effort to flee from Lexaeus' power.

He heard the ground crack and break apart from behind him as he tore through the narrow space to try and escape long enough to try and contact Riku or Sora to get them to come get Naminé out of there. Once she was taken care of he could unleash all his anger on those ignorant sons of bitches tearing the ground up behind him. The pavement he was tearing across seemed to not be affected by Lexaeus as of yet so he was safe for the moment but he didn't let that still his legs.

Turning sharply to the right, he entered Oak Street and to his utter surprise and joy he saw Riku and Sora running towards him from an open portal with multiple injuries showing. The shock on their faces didn't faze him at the least as he belted towards them, he was on a mission and nothing was going to stop him now. Flailing his free hand about, he tried to get the message across for them to get back in the portal and out of there but it went unheeded as they took a step toward him instead forcing him to yell, "Get back in!"

Checking that Xigbar and Lexaeus hadn't caught up yet he breathlessly stopped in front of Sora and shoved Naminé into his arms before pushing him towards the Portal. "Xigbar and Lexaeus…they're coming." Roxas said, his sentence being split up by a heavy breath he heaved in. "Get out of here with her! I'll meet you back at the headquarters." Riku took Naminé from Sora and stepped back seeing the disbelief on Sora's face.

"You seriously expect me to believe that again!" Sora said rounding up in front of Roxas' face ignoring the sounds of the ground crumbling coming towards them, "The last time you said that you almost died!" Roxas winced hearing a crash resound from the alley way he had just come from. Thinking fast he did what any brother would do in this situation. He shoved his brother through the portal before shooting Riku a glare that said if he didn't follow after there would be pain.

"You better come back or there will be hell to pay." With that said Riku stepped into the portal and closed it neatly behind him to face the inevitable repercussions that these choices would reap. Roxas didn't wait, this was his time to get some revenge he so needed to sate. He didn't have to wait long for Xigbar appeared from the air from one of his bends in time and stepped towards him the smirk on his face falling at seeing Roxas was now alone. At that, Roxas couldn't help shoot him a smile as if to say, your move buddy.

"Where is she boy?" Xigbar said holding one of his guns aloft and pointed at him. His cool demeanor was showing cracks like an egg under pressure.

"Where's who?" Roxas asked putting a phony confused look on his face while he stuffed his hands into his sweatshirt that was still covered with a fine layer dust from the library. He could have sworn he saw Xigbar's face twitch in agitation but from the distance put between them he couldn't be sure.

Trying as if to recover the air he had held before Xigbar asked again, "Where is she Subject Seven, it's only going to go worse for you if you don't tell." Roxas stayed quiet as the clouds became more ominous overhead making the atmosphere even tenser as the air was filled with the musky smell of rain. Xigbar rubbed his head in irritation before saying, "Fine if you won't talk, I'll just take you in and they can make you." And the with a simple crack up his neck he brought up his guns and let lose a barrage of gunfire seemingly not caring whether or not Roxas was hit full on and killed.

Roxas was prepared though and had already bunched up his muscles to back flip into a handspring in an effort to dodge the purple energy bullets that were aimed for him. He flipped through the air and briefly saw how close the bullets were from his face before his shoes returned back to earth and skidded a tad. But as his feet slid across the ground he let loose a torrent of light that sped across the earth towards Xigbar scattering the loose rocks as it rocketed forward.

Xigbar professionally sidestepped the light just in time barely missing it by a few centimeters. His eyes widened as he saw part of his coat sheared off by the intensity of the power contained in that one attack but didn't watch long before he faced forward. He hardly had any time to react though as Roxas, who had sprinted forward with his keyblade in hand, was upon before he knew it.

Roxas swung the weapon up over his head and slammed it down on the Freeshooter with a yell. His keyblade clanged against the two guns as Xigbar swung up to protect his head. Roxas didn't relent on his attack as he bore downward, his keyblade clutched with two hands, but his months of training with Sephiroth had taught him enough to know he was going to have to something else soon.

A foot swung out to knock Roxas' feet asunder but a well placed jump saved him from this trouble as he pushed back with his wings to separate from Xigbar. Touching down briefly he sprung back up into the air before rocketing back towards Xigbar with a foot aimed for his head. His sneaker though didn't make the contact he was hoping for as his targets hand swung out and grabbed him in midair and then used his momentum to his advantage swung him around before ultimately releasing him in the peak of the ark.

Roxas opened his wings to reorient himself out of his fall but was not fast enough to avoid the spray of bullets that Xigbar let loose on him a second later. His blood was sprayed on the ground as he fell to the ground and rolled over to try and avoid the next slew of bullets that would be released. Pushing up from the ground with his arms he barely evaded the next few bullets meant for him. He skipped back a few steps before he heard the sound he had been dreading.

The rumbling of the earth and the investable cracks appeared under his feet as he took a brief second to turn around and see Lexaeus had finally caught up with them. His nostrils were flared from anger and the usual calmness that emanated from him was gone, erased by the attack by Naminé. As he walked the cracks in the earth spread out around him to form delicate designs like a spider web spreading out before his eyes.

Roxas ground his teeth together as he racked his brain for a plan; he had hoped it would take longer for Lexaeus to catch up. "Are you going to tell us now Roxas?" Xigbar asked casually with both his guns upraised and cocked.

Looking back out of the corner of his eye, Roxas saw Lexaeus was letting his anger get the better of him and was trying to heft up his hammer. Thinking fast Roxas noticed that Lexaeus was too far away to hear him so meeting Xigbars eyes he started to walk forward with his hands behind his head, no keyblade in sight. "Alright, alright, I didn't think I would win anyway." Xigbar lowered his weapons just a bit but looked unconvinced; "I'll tell you where she is…" he drifted off as he heard the slam of metal clanging against the tar signaling his move.

Shooting Xigbar a smug grin he bent his knees and shot up into the air just as the ground underneath him gave way. Glancing down as he flew up he saw the road crack and splinter as it sunk into the ground to form a massive crater in between the buildings and even they showed cracks sprawling up their sides. Unfortunately though Xigbar saw the ground sinking and reacted before he could get pulled under.

Cursing under his breath at that, Roxas flew up into the air away from the man that would be his downfall on the ground. Pulling his phone out to check the time so he could decide if Sora and Riku had had enough time to get away, he saw he had received a new text but before he could read it gunfire was shot directly above his shoulder and past his face before whistling through the air into the building across from him breaking a window with a crash. He took a deep breath as he prepped his body for the tax he wasn't going to put it through.

He turned violently to the left as his wings did the rest to let him whiz through the air above the buildings. He felt more bullets travel by him causing him to tuck his wings in tight and fall for a few feet before opening them quickly to dart down below another line of buildings to try and use them for cover. Pushing his acrobatic moves to the limit he danced through the air passing multiple buildings in the process in an effort to avoid the bullets and to try and get away from the hell bent shooter that seemed to be popping out at one place before popping out somewhere else.

Reorienting his wings, Roxas shot skyward in an effort to lose Xigbar in the clouds but he failed to see until it was too late just how dark the clouds had gotten before the torrential rainstorm began. As he saw the rain start to fall above him Roxas said, "Shit," a split second before the rain slammed into him. Having learned a lesson previously about fighting against nature he allowed the rain and wind to push him down as his wings were pelted with thick raindrops that were on the verge of being hail.

As he dove through the rain with his wings so close to his body they were almost tucked in he noticed that Xigbar was nowhere to be seen in the thick haze of rain. With his hair plastered to his face Roxas smiled at the fact that this random act of nature might have ultimately saved him from either death or capture but he also felt anger at his chance at revenge being taken away.

Squinting to shield his eyes from the rain, he carefully maneuvered through the air until he was below the height of the buildings, there he landed softly quickly scanning the area for enemies before slipping into an alleyway that held a bit of cover from the rain thanks to an overhanging someone had put up when the city was still normal. His clothes were almost soaked completely through and with it being either February or March Roxas couldn't help but shiver as the wind seemed to cut right through him. The rain also was not letting up in the least bit as it fell onto the roof overhead to create a dull clang with each successive hit.

Not wanting to venture out into the rain just yet, he sat against the wall and pulled out his damp phone. He shook it briskly sending droplets flying out to the ground before flipping it open to read the text he had gotten as he let his heart slow down to its usual speed. After clicking through some screens he got to the text and saw it was from Sora and it said, "You beter come bacbk this time."

Clicking his phone back he rested his head against the brick wall and looked up while closing his eyes as he said, "I'm going to try Sora, I really am."

"What are you doing here?" A voice said with blunt callousness. Instantly Roxas was on his feet with his keyblade in hand but he had to tighten his grip on it when he saw who was there. There in the shadows of the alleyway in the rain was a group of Blue Moons that consisted of what looked like four people but more could have been hidden in the back.

At the front as the leader was Hayner.

As he stepped into the lighter part of the alleyway Roxas saw he held a gun aloft that was pointed directly at Roxas' heart. Though the situation was serious Roxas couldn't help but think but feel a little fed up with all these guns that were being thrown at him today.

But in the end Roxas just felt numb as he saw his ex-friend walk up to him, his steps punctuated by the rain, until he was under the covering and about four ft away from him. The rest of the Blue Moons stayed behind him with various weapons held, he thought he saw a sword, a pole, and another gun. "Why are you trespassing on Blue Moons Territory?" For the first time since he entered this hallway he noticed the slightly melting blue blot on the wall that may have once been a graffiti sign displaying that you were in Blue Moon Territory.

Holding back the urge to curse, Roxas' steely blue eyes met Hayners warm brown as Roxas implored, "Hayner listen to me, you and your teammates need to get back to your base. There are dangerous men around that will kill you without a second thought." Though their friendship was destroyed beyond repair he couldn't help but feel that he owed Hayner this after he helped Axel bust him out of Building Three.

Although his words held sincerity Hayner scoffed jabbed his gun forward in what seemed like a rude gesture. "You really expect me to believe that?" Hayner spit on the ground as if to get the distasteful thought out of his mouth. "Now it's time to show you how the Blue Moons treat guests." Roxas didn't have to turn around to know there were more Gang members behind him by their noisy entrance; they must have staked him out while he rested and somehow didn't arouse his attention. This caused him to want to hit himself over the head out of his sheer stupidity for letting that happen.

"Hayner please, if our past friendship meant anything to you, I ask you to look at the bigger threat that is currently at your doorstep not to mention the Heartless that could come out at any second!" Roxas pleaded trying to get any sense at all into these people and for a moment it worked as a few lowered their weapons and glanced at their leader but Hayner seemed unaffected and just furrowed his eyebrows down until they were practically were touching the bridge of his nose.

"Our friendship means nothing to me now you Bastard." Hayner retorted, his hair standing on end. Roxas briefly wondered just where all this anger had come from but didn't have that much time to think on it because Hayner was now raising his hand in only what could be the signal for an all out assault on him. Could he never get a break?

Moving fast, he let loose his light straight at Hayner and his cronies before smacking the people behind him away with a single hit with his keyblade. He ran out into the rain while poorly aimed bullets from Hayner swept past him as he made it out onto the street. What greeted him though was just another FUCK YOU from the universe as Lexaeus was standing out in the road coming from a black portal with wrath lining every inch of his face.

He saw that Lexaeus hadn't noticed him as of yet but as he was about to leap into the air and try and fly away but something held him back.

Hayner and the Blue Moons were innocent, well not innocent, but as innocent as one could be in this whole mess that was this city and if he just flew away they would be running straight to their deaths. As he turned around to run back to the alleyway he could almost hear Axel's voice begging him in his head to run away but he couldn't do that, he couldn't let that scrap of humanity in him die insdie him without a fight and become a real monster.

The gang had almost exited the narrow hallway between the buildings to come after him when he blocked their entrance and in one last ditch effort said, "Run, you have to run now if you want to live!" The old Hayner, the one that had joked with him in the hallways of school and made fun of the new fads in school, wouldn't have doubted him. But this Hayner was no longer his friend no matter how much he had tried to deny it. This Hayner had started to raise the gun as Roxas warned them of the danger and fired just as he finished with his warning.

Hayner took a step back as the gun recoiled in his hand by a surprising amount as the bullet flew through the air only to be stopped by the ground that had risen up under Roxas' feet.

Roxas jumped off of it and landed a few feet back but he had heard the gun fire and though he had tried to harden his heart throughout these trying times he couldn't help but feel as if he had been betrayed which caused him to lose something he couldn't put his finger on for once again someone he had trusted had not only turned their back to him, but tried to kill him. As the aftershocks rang out Roxas watched as the rain slowed down to the point everything was still as icy fingers splayed through his body leaving him cold and hollow inside.

The Blue Moons began to retreat through the slow rain as Hayner and Roxas' eyes met one last time in a linger look as Roxas lost any sort of emotion for the stranger that now inhabited his friend's body. Not wanted to remain any longer in this damned place, Roxas expanded his wings and was gone in an instant just as another blast was unleashed upon the innocent road damaging it beyond repair. The world returned to normal speed just as the it fell away to reveal yellow eyes off in the distance coming out of hiding and heading towards the oblivious Lexaeus.

Not caring what happened he stretched his wings out as far as they would to catch the wind and turned into the rain to head back to the headquarters.

He just wanted to go home.

Across the city as Naminé was carried by Riku up the stairs into the institute she opened her eyes and felt pain. Clutching at her heart she whispered, "Oh Roxas…" before falling back into blackness. Sora and Riku could only exchange fearful looks as they hurried their steps to make it inside from the rain, each hoping that Roxas was safe.

* * *

Roxas felt like a broken vessel as he soared through the rain towards the hotel. His clothes were soaked completely through and hung limply on his body while his hair was still stubbornly sticking up in spikes though looking a little worse for wear. His fire that had always propelled him forward, helped him survive the institute, and was always there when he was about to give up was gone. No flicker, no small flame, just gone. Instead there was just a giant void where it had once been leaving him empty.

Dimly he flew on through worsening rain as his emptiness felt like it was going to swallow him up. A small buzz brought him out of his autopilot to see he had gotten a text message that was calling all the agents back to the headquarters because the subject had been acquired. Blowing out a sigh of relief Roxas shut his phone and stuck it back in his pocket as the first positive emotion in a while blossomed up in happiness that Sora, Riku, and Naminé had made it safely back but it soon was gone, washed away by the rain.

Soon he was at the Headquarters landing on the stairs and heading inside before he knew it. Walking the well known paths of the underground labyrinth, he made it to the grand staircase where he stopped. Dripping water mixed with small traces of blood on the floor he watched the people mill around obliviously. He had been sure the news of Naminé arriving would have spread by now but then again, like the mission in the first place Roxas guessed that Cloud was still keeping it under wraps.

He guessed it was for the best, a panicked crowd would be as dangerous as the Heartless clawing at their walls. Trying to decide what to do next he saw Riku walking down the stairs heading towards the main cafeteria but halted in his step when he saw Roxas sopping in the corner. Changing direction he walked over to him with a low smile on his face, happy to see him but unhappy to see him in such a depressing state.

"You've looked like you been through hell."

"…Something like that." Roxas said with little enthusiasm shrugging his shoulder not wanting to get into the details. "Where is Naminé at? He kept his voice low as to not attract any uninvited attention; his appearance was doing that enough without him adding to it.

Riku smiled at this, good news was never hard to deliver, "She's with Aerith right now making sure she is ok but she woke up on the way here so I think everything will work out alright." Riku felt there was something off with Roxas but didn't comment on it assuming it was just having to deal with Xigbar. "You should go change, you'll catch something if you stay in that," Seeing the small stains of blood that dotted his clothing he added, "And maybe go visit Aerith."

Taking a few steps back, "I'll see you later; you better go tell Sora you're here to, he's been worried about you." And with one last look Riku took off back in the direction of the cafeteria leaving Roxas standing in the corner of the room in a wet puddle. Trying to give himself some motivation to move he ruffled up his feathers and shook the droplets that coated them in a quick movement before starting up the stairs to his room. As he walked he tried to hold back his shivers but failed and sent some more rainwater spraying out around him in his ungraceful jerks.

It took him little time to reach his room for though he was tired from his busy day his wolf like stamina held him through to keep his steady pace up. People stared as he passed but he was past caring and just shot them a glare that held nothing back. This left all looking away from him in shame and scuttling away before anything else could be unleashed on their person from this angry kid. He made it to his room without any problems and saw someone had come in and changed out the stabbed sheets and replaced them with fresh new ones. The subtle smell of flowers told all of who had done it.

Sitting down his bed, Roxas gripped the sides not bothering to change out his wet clothes just yet as he let his hair air dry. He could feel small drops run down his neck to travel down his back as any urge to move or do anything died within him. Only the desire to sit was left and even that was a suffering one. The truth was, what Mickey and Hayner had done was worse than any experiment or injection that had happened prior. This had been personal, these people had known him, gave him their trust and he, his in return and in the end they stabbed him in the back.

And if they could do that, who else would?

His train of thought was interrupted by his door opening softly as a familiar blaze of red appeared along with a grinning face. "Well you look worse for wear." Axel commented with a casual tone. Though he must have just gotten back he was completely dry, another advantage to having the power of fire burning inside. "You miss me?"

At that Roxas melted and knew instantly what he had to do. Without warning he stood up and crossed over to Axel who had a happy light in his eyes and said, "More than you know."

And then, Roxas leaned up and pulled Axel down to meet his lips with his own in an almost desperate move that held all his confusion and hurt. He wanted the ache to go away, he wanted the emptiness to be gone and to know that there were people he could always trust. He wanted to be loved in a way that his family never could.

Axel was in shock for the first second at this brazen move he never had expected to come from Roxas but soon he quickly responded back with even more vigor as all his unattainable dreams were coming to life. He pulled Roxas closer to his body trying to make this moment last forever as their teeth clashed together in the fight for dominance. It was a kiss filled with passion and life but everything has to come to an end at some point.

Hesitantly they seperated, their faces mere centimeters apart as their breath intermingled if puffs while they huskily soaked in each others scent like no other time before as they fought to make time slow down just this once. Their eyes danced wildly, blue mixed with green, as they tried to comprehend if this was really happening and then they were at it again clawing at each others backs as the kiss intensified. Each one was trying to show how much they were feeling in this one action leading to it to become deeper as hands fought to tear off the useless articles of clothing that were getting in the way.

Axel's dry shirt and cloak were pulled off easily by trained hands but Roxas' soaking sweatshirt clung to his body as well as his wings getting in the way forced them to part once more to rip it off almost violently as well as his black undershirt. They fell to the floor in a heap as Roxas and Axel stood close to one another, their hands clasped tightly on the others arms. Roxas' wings halfway folded in and halfway extended as the excitement of what was happening made it impossible for them to settle down.

Soon they were both naked from the waist up and the contrasts between Axels pale unmarred body to Roxas' tan scar etched skin were seen. While Roxas marveled at Axel's perfection, Axel couldn't help but feel rage build up at seeing every point of past pain that would never be erased from Roxas' body. Bringing his eyes back up he moved in once more with renewed drive to try and wash all the pain away the best he could.

He moved in, his hands on Roxas body as he bit and kissed at Roxas' throat and dimly thought that his skin tasted vaguely like apples for some reason. They slowly fell on top of one another on Roxas' bed but neither complained. Axel's hands braced himself on top as Roxas' hands explored everywhere they could get to in an effort to memorize every contour of this man's rich and smooth body.

Throughout the carnal and primal act, Roxas stayed silent with no moans of ecstasy escaping his lips or sighs of lust, just the arching of his back and other subtle body motions told all to the keen observer and urged Axel onward in his trek over his body. As Axel traveled down lower he was interrupted by a sharp rap at the door causing him to shoot straight up in anger. He knew that knock.

Leaving Roxas looked confused on the bed he walked to the door and opened it just a sliver to see the dreaded mullet of doom leaving him to say, "You have no idea how much I hate you right now."

Demyx just shot him a confused look as he tried to peer around Axel, "I was just trying to find Roxas mister fiery pants, Cloud wanted to talk to him. He's in Aeriths office with Naminé." With that said rustling was heard in the background as Roxas struggled to put on a dry sweatshirt eliciting a groan from Axel who shut the door on the water benders face. He walked sullenly over to where Roxas was fitting the sweatshirt over his wings when strong arms enveloped him and pulled him close as Axel blew a gust of air into his now dry hair.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted this." Axel whispered. Roxas smiled for the first time in ages and twisted around in the grip to nestle his head in the crook of Axels neck in a silent agreement. The pain was far from gone but slowly he could feel a small spark light up in his chest. It was small but the fact that it was back gave Roxas the hope to move on especially since the chance of this being continued at a later date hung over his head. He twisted out of the grip and walked towards the door only to pause in the frame and turn around, a small smile playing on his face that held more melancholy than happiness but it was better than a frown.

"You coming?" Axel could only tousle his hair in frustration before picking up his discarded clothing and following after.

* * *

Xehanort was a man to be feared, a man who had power, and most importantly a man who was in control. He could puppet a man about with a simple twitch of his finger and wouldn't hesitate to kill if it came down to it. Completely bald, he had a small grey patch that grew from his chin in a style that he owned all to himself. His amber eyes held unknown depths of malice that made up for his short height for they made him appear to be two feet taller than he actually was.

But now instead of sending out orders to the higher ups and managing the grand scheme that he had orchestrated up to this point, he was standing in front of the supposedly deadliest bunch of Nobodies ever created. But all he saw were puppies that had gotten their noses poked one too many time by a blind finger, not an elite group that could handle anything. This caused scorn to cross his face as he held back the urge to spit on them for being in his ranks.

Usually he wouldn't hesitate to kill them all off and start anew but now was different; he had to manage the situation that through a series of twisted events had arisen. His shoes clicked on the marble floor of his war room, a miniature of the city on a desk behind him with little X's on sticks sticking out in a concise matter. He slowly turned his head to meet Xemnas' eyes and bid him to try and possibly make this situation alright. Both Subject Seven and Naminé were still out even though he had been given reassurance after reassurance that they would be captured under a day's time.

"Sir, Xigbar and Lexaeus were able to find them both but due to circumstances they alluded capture-"

"Circumstances beyond their control?" Xehanort asked casually as he rounded on the silver haired man that was as calm as usual though a small bead of sweat could be seen trailing down the right side of his face, almost invisible to the naked eye.

"Weather moved in that brought the Heartless out, the danger was too much for them to pursue especially since we now know where they are." This caught Xehanorts attention but he didn't show it except for his eyes opening a slight more from the slit they had been.

"And?"

"They are at the old Hollow Bastion Hotel where the rag tag group of Nobodies is located." Xehanort rubbed his chin in thought with his gloved hand as he walked down the line of wet Nobodies that hadn't been able to avoid the rain. He stopped at the end and turned back to his 3d model and started to move the small symbols about with fluid movements until he stood back with a smirk.

"Get ready to leave, an all out attack is justified and this time it will be a mission to kill, not capture." He pivoted around to face his squad so fast the cloak he wore fanned out menacingly behind him for a second. "Naminé is to be killed on sight, no exception unless capture is possible. She is too much of a liability now to allow to live."

"And Subject Seven Sir?" Xemnas asked with no emotion.

"Dismissed." Xehanort retorted turning back to his map. Knowing better than to stay around, the group left to prepare and rest until the order to move out were issued. "You may come in Sephiroth."

The Silver haired man entered the room smoothly, his cloak flapping out behind him. "Yes Sir?" He asked with an almost belligerent tone but Xehanort either didn't notice or just chose not to comment on what was starting to become a regular occurrence.

"I have a very special task for you." He looked up, his amber eyes holding contempt, "You are to go with the main force to raid Hollow Bastion but you are to stay back and not fight anyone but one person." Smiling he said at last, "I need you to kill Subject Seven. I know that you have wanted to for a while and now's your chance."

Sephiroth didn't show how he felt about these order but nodded in agreement before turning to leave but was stopped by a small cough. "One more thing, bring back his body." Sephiroth turned his head back to glance at his leader but seeing that he had returned to moving his figures around like they were on a chess board he turned back and walked out the room. Feeling an emotion that something akin to happiness flood his veins for the first time in a long while.

**

* * *

My god that was a doozy to write not to mention that particular scene was incredibly difficult to write as it was my first as I'm sure you could all tell. But I'm happy with how it turned out for the most part and know that I can only get better with time haha. What an odd skill to have. But I knew in my mind Roxas was going to be no moaner, it just did not seem to fit him.  
**

**The story is ramping up to the conclusion and soon this thing will be over and I will have nothing to do after besides eating a pudding cup.**

**Please review as the next chapters are going to be horribly difficult to write and any motivation is gladly welcomed. Not sure when the next chapter will be up but I'm hoping for a week or later. Really not sure.**

**Wish me luck and I hope you enjoyed it!  
**


	34. Chapter 34

Walking through the halls to Aeriths office Roxas and Axel had an unwelcome guest tag along, and that guests name rhymed with flemyx. Axel walked close to Roxas down the surprisingly empty hallways that seemed to have been deserted for some reason but Roxas didn't care enough to ask why. He walked with his should touching Axels arm, trying to garner any last moral support he would need for the time to come should they be separated for some reason. The feeling of patheticness was felt a tad, especially since Demyx was with them but in the end he was just happy for the human contact.

The scene that had just occurred minutes ago kept playing in his head like a broken record but it was one of happiness so he didn't mind it. He wanted to remember it forever and never let it go because He knew one day he would need to think back on it to remind himself the world is possible of great joy as well as pure crap so until then he would keep it tucked away in his mind. Out of the corner of his eye he looked at the man that had entered his life so suddenly and yet now he couldn't imagine one without him. Looking back forward he knew in his heart if anything happened to Axel…well he didn't want to think about that.

Soon they arrived at the clearly marked office and went to enter when the presence behind them was remembered. Axel turned his head to glare at Demyx with a scowl on his face that promised much pain if he didn't leave soon. Demyx luckily took the hint and put his hands up as he backed up with a sheepish smile on his face before taking off running down the halls to some unknown destination. Stopping short of entering the room, Axel rubbed his head in thought as he commented, "Something is up with him…" Roxas raised an eyebrow up at that before glancing down the hallway that Demyx had run down.

He was about to ask Axel to clarify when the door opened suddenly to reveal Cloud standing in front of them. "About time you got here," He ushered them in as Roxas gave the hallway one last look before entering, there he saw Naminé talking to Sora on a cot. She had a shy expression on and rubbed her arm awkwardly and Roxas could tell she was tense, from the crowd or something else he didn't know. Her eyes caught his almost immediately as he entered the room and a visible relaxation of her body language was seen.

His attention was diverted though by the bone crushing hug he received from Cloud a second later. As he pulled away, a rare smile shined down on him like a radiant sun, "Great job kid." Cloud said affectionately as he tousled Roxas' hair in a way he hadn't done since they had been kids outside in the backyard playing with fake swords. "Now that we have Naminé the evacuation plan has started, soon we will all be out of this god forsaken place."

"Evacuation plan?" Roxas asked, he had heard rumors about such a thing existing but it was something no one really expected happen, at least not for a long time. Sora nodded at him, though he had a disgruntled look going on that was caused by being shoved through a portal.

"Now that we have her," He pointed at Naminé who was now rubbing her hands together anxiously, "There isn't any reason to stay any longer. We're packing up and getting out of here before anything else can happen, and with our bad luck it could be a meteor falling towards us in a week or two."

Ignoring the last bit of that sentence Cloud added, "That's right and now that you're here you guys will get your assignment for today." Cloud said standing tall with a smile still splayed on his face. The worrying, the stress and the fear would all be lessened once they were out of this city and that would make anyone smile but soon it was replaced with a more serious expression when he began to talk.

"Sora, you will be leading the groups of people that are being rounded up as we speak through the tunnels. This is going to be a stressful situation for everyone and know you can get them through it, same goes for you Riku. I need strong leaders today and you two are people I can trust to get this done fast and efficiently." Sora and Riku nodded in acceptance of their tasks though both knew it wasn't going to be easy. "Both of you need to report downstairs to Squall who will get you set up."

Sora and Riku got up and walked over to Cloud. "When will I see you again?" Sora asked with clarity though it was echoed with nervousness.

"I'll see you again before you know it, and this time it will be in a place without Heartless." Cloud pulled Sora into a tight embrace before letting go to watch Sora hug Roxas tightly as well. Roxas hugged Sora tightly like he had wished he had done that day on the sidewalk so many moons ago. But with the silent goodbyes given, Riku and Sora left the room with only one look back before disappearing into the hallway into the unknown. Cloud watched them leave the room with poorly hidden regret in his eyes. It is never an easy task to send your family out into a dangerous situation without you by their side.

The wistful look left was gone a second later as he slipped back into leadership mode and turned to Axel and Roxas. "You two will have the important task of guarding Naminé. She is our only hope for the future at the moment." He walked up to Roxas and put his hands on his shoulders as if to place a physical weight on his shoulders. "You found her Roxas, you have to protect her." He glanced at Naminé before continuing, "I would do it myself but she only trusts you."

"Don't worry Cloud, with me and Roxas on the case the girl couldn't be any safer." Axel said casually leaning against the wall which made Cloud nod though he still look unnerved whether he was worried about the evacuation, his brothers important parts in it or both.

"You three will be some of the first to leave. Come with me and I will get you set up." Cloud motioned to the door and started to walk away before he was halted by Naminé.

"Can I just have a moment to talk with Roxas…?" She looked at both Cloud and Axel before continuing, "Alone?" Cloud pulled up his sleeve to look at his ticking wrist watch before nodding.

"You have five minutes, after that I expect you guys to be in the main lobby for further orders." Cloud left without another glance, plans and worries whirling around his head were beginning to distract him and if he didn't get on top of everything now they would pay for it later in some way. No way was he going to let that happen, not today.

Though Cloud had left Axel stayed in the room and shot Naminé a look that said she was crazy if she expected him to leave. She didn't seem too bothered by this though as if she had known that was going to happen, instead she rushed forward and latched on Roxas' arm before pulling him forward and out the door. Not know what to do; he let her as he shot Axel a look that shared his confusion.

"Something is happening Roxas, we have to get out of here soon." She looked around with quick calculated looks as she dragged him down the hallway after Cloud. "I'm not sure what but I can feel the pounding of a hundred hearts on the march towards here, and if we don't get out soon…" She trailed off and let his imagination fill in the rest.

"Wait what?" Axel asked with confusion etched in his voice, "Pounding Hearts…what exactly are your powers." Roxas shot him a look that said I'll explain later before looking back at Naminé who seemed to be trying to determine everything that could go wrong in the next few minutes. Her vice like grip on his arm was tightening with each passing second as whatever she was hearing was getting worse.

Biting the inside of his cheek to calm his own heart down, Roxas gently pried Naminés' hand off his arm and instead put it into his own hand to try and reassure her everything was going to be ok. She shot him a look that showed for a brief second the fear she was feeling before she clasped her arms around him and whispered, "Thank you Roxas." She pulled back and smoothed her dress out before smiling weakly, "Let's go find your brother and get out of this rat hole shall we." Her voice cracked a bit but for her credit she held herself with poise.

Roxas smiled back and nodded in agreement as the three of them walked down the hallway. He pondered on what she had heard could possibly mean and knew he would be adding another problem to Clouds plate in a second when he told him. He just hoped it was nothing.

As they made their way down to the lower levels of the hotel they saw that it was a hive of activity with people packing the essentials into backpacks and other assorted luggage they would be able to carry. The result was it felt like the hotel was slowly being stripped clean of any signs that people had once lived there. Though he had only called this place home for a little under a month Roxas felt sad at the grim end to this magnificent building that had housed and protected so many people from dying. Once they left there would be no one to protect it and it would slowly succumb to the Heartless like all the other buildings.

But on the flip side they were finally getting out of the city that had been the bane of all his problems so overall he was just happy that was happening but then a thought crossed his mind that he couldn't ignore, "I know that you guys stayed in the city to try and find the cure but how come you haven't tried to get most of the people out of here?"

"Our evacuation route is a onetime deal Roxas, once we use it, the likelihood we could use it again is doubtful." Axel explained as he glanced at Naminé warily. She was currently starring at Roxas with an intense look as if she was trying to work out a heavy duty calculus problem. Roxas didn't notice though for he was looking at Axel with a thoughtful expression as he tried to think what could possibly be their escape route if it was a onetime use.

Before he could ask Zidane was on them asking, "Where have you guys been?" He had his hands on his hips with both his swords summoned for some odd reason that Axel and Roxas didn't comment on. "Clouds waiting for you in the main lobby, you better hop to it or I'm going to beat you on being the first one out of here." He winked at Naminé before going back to helping instruct people where to go leaving Axel and Roxas to exchange looks before heading faster to the main room.

As they walked he felt Naminé squeeze his hand tightly and when he looked at her he saw her face was screwed up and her hand was at her chest. "Naminé are you ok?" Roxas asked dumbly not knowing what else to say. She stopped in her tracks and opened her eyes slowly, her face held pure horror.

Not waiting to answer Roxas she ran to one of the side windows that would have overlooked the city but now were barred up limiting the view to almost nothing. She tore through the obstruction and looked outside and went completely still. Roxas and Axel were soon by her side and looked out the window as well and felt their blood run cold.

Outside in the distance and brewing storm was what looked like the army of hell on the march towards their doorsteps. Around a hundred people were fully clothed in black with faces obscured by hoods were coming out of black swirling portals by the second and summoning their weapons as they went.

Roxas felt the breath hitch in his throat as he didn't waste a second and grabbed Naminés hand and ran at full belt to Cloud to warn him and everyone else. He heard Axel yell out behind him, "Get to the evacuation room now people!", as he ran behind Roxas. Axel continued to yell this repeatedly as they tore through the hallways causing people to look through the windows and confirm the words Axel was spouting. They immediately felt panic rise up before trying to push it back down and rush down the hallway and make their way to the basement where people were being evacuated.

They burst into the main lobby where Roxas, Axel and Naminé rushed to Cloud who was confused by the crowd of people running to the evacuation center.

"What is going on?" Cloud asked with his blue eyes filled with a want for answers.

They skidded up to him as the people continued to stream out around them as Roxas cried, "The military is here!", and pointed out the doors to reveal the army almost upon them. Overhearing the cry of warning Yuna ran forward and put up a force field just as the first wave of gunner kneeled down and let loose a volley of bullets. Screams and yells rang out in terror as the sound of the fire resounded through the room urging them into a giant herd of cattle as their fight or flight instincts began to kick in.

"Hold that force field Yuna!" Cloud yelled over the crowd before addressing them, "Civilians to the evacuation room, fighters get into position, we need to hold the line as long as possible for everyone to get out to safety!" The people, though frightened and scared, acted with haste as the ones who could use weapons directed themselves to the frontline with grim faces in place while the defenseless Nobodies continued to make their way to where the evacuation was taking place.

The blue shimmering force field was barely in place now as other elements of nature had joined the onslaught of bullets against it. Yuna ground her teeth as she tried to keep it up a bit longer until everyone was in place. "Get ready people, this will be the fight of all fights!" Cloud yelled with his hand raised into the air ready to signal Yuna to let the field down. Like a professional commander he kept his eyes trained on the battle that was taking place outside as his fighters did their best to prepare to fight by summoning and bringing forth weapons and powers. "Roxas get Naminé out of here and to the evacuation!"

But before he could signal Yuna to let the force field down it let out a giant crack from the brute force being applied to it before ultimately crumbling down into nothingness. The bullets poured in as Roxas pushed Naminé behind him and summoned his keyblade forth in a splash of light as Axel did the same beside him with his two wheels of fire. The wall that the force field had protected dissipated in a frightening display as the storm began to wail in as well as military personnel with weapons upraised from swords to guns. Bullets from both sides sprayed out as powers exploded out and slammed into one another. Cloud held his buster sword aloft in the air and charged along with other weapon wielders into the fray to begin cutting down into the bodies they could reach.

Axel pulled Roxas who in turn pulled Naminé out of the way just as a body flew through the air and cracked into the wall where they had once stood. Crouching behind an upturned table Axel put a hand on Roxas' shoulder and said, "I'll stay here and help defend the hotel, you go get Naminé and yourself out of here." His green eyes shown with intensity as bullets flew over their heads and peppered the wall as the sounds of battle became louder with each passing second.

"But I just can't leave," Roxas said trying to think of any way he could stay with Axel and protect Naminé at the same time. Axel made to leave but Roxas grasped his arm as his blue eyes shone with defiance as something crashed into the table sending it skidding a bit closer to them. But the decision wasn't for Roxas to make for a twist of events sent a powerful gust of wind to knock into the table they were hiding behind with enough force to make it ricochet violently between Axel and Roxas effectively separating them in one swift move.

Moving to run back to Axel, Roxas was stopped by a cloaked figure with spears dancing about as if held by strings in the air.

"Found you." Xaldin said simply and with a flick of his hand he sent the spears shooting through the air with the intent to kill but with honed reflexes Roxas recognized the signs and was able to raise his keyblade in time to deflect with skill sending them rebounding into the stairs and walls to luckily not pierce anyone else. Roxas didn't wait long to see what Xaldin would do next for he was already weaving through the battle field filled with dodging and powers clashing. He kept Naminé close as he did his best to make it through unscathed but a few close calls where had when spears continued to track him down.

They had almost made it to the stairs when a spear made its way through the haze of battle and flew through the haze of battle directly towards Naminé. Roxas saw it just in time out of the corner of his eye and was able to pull her out of the way just in time. She watched it pass by her face with wide eyes as she was thrown to the stairs behind Roxas who took up a battle stance ready to defend her. Xaldin advanced on them practically flying over the raging fight with wind pushing him forward. He landed lightly, his hood falling to his shoulders to reveal his dreadlocks in disarray as a fire burned in his eyes.

Two wheels if fire whizzed through the air to nail the man in the side sending his black stained blood splattering to the floor as a look of surprise encompassed Xaldins face. Axel rushed forward, his coat billowing out behind him as he yelled out "Run!"

Roxas ignored this heed of advice and instead tried to run forward to aid him when someone stepped in his way to halt his progress, "Why hello Subject Seven, miss me?" Saix snarled with a vindictive glare that made Roxas' blood boil thinking back on the "punishment" that Saix had delivered on him some time ago. He took a step back away from the slathering man as his hand took Naminés in his own. He watched as a man he had barely known run forward with a mace and try to attack Saix but was knocked away with a carless slash from the blue haired beast. It was amazing how loud the battle had seemed a few second ago it now seemed eerily quiet as Roxas noticed the other major Nobody Military Operatives that were walking out of the battle and towards him and Naminé in every feasible direction it seemed like until it seemed like they were all but surrounded.

"Roxas…" Naminé whispered, she was clearly scared but also had an edge of defiance in her voice that said she wasn't going to go down without a fight and Roxas wasn't either but with all his allies fighting mere inches away he couldn't release all the power he wanted to so instead he thought of another plan.

Keeping a grip on her hand, he whipped around and away from the savage of a man and ran at a breakneck speed up the stairs towards who he guessed was Larxene. She held her daggers in her hands but with a quick squeeze of the hand Naminé knew what to do. When they were a few feet apart she lifted her hand just as Larxene was about to let loose a barrage of knives and grasped the air tightly. Her fingers squeezing the air caused an immediate reaction in the blonde haired vixen who staggered in her step and let the knives in her hand fall to the floor, scattering them on the carpet.

Roxas and Naminé whizzed by her with no attempt to stop them but as soon as Naminés hand released the air she fell to the ground gasping heavily as her friends ran by her except Marluxia who stopped to help her stand. As he and Naminé tore through the now empty halls he released her hand to let her run in front of him as he slammed his hands into the ground to let a flood of light leave his hands to tear down the narrow hall to greet his pursuers. Once released he took off after Naminé but the light kept on chugging along as it smashed into Saix who absorbed most of the blow with his body unknowing protecting the rest.

He pushed through the light with his giant claymore dissipating it with a roar as his allies ran past to sent lightning, spears, bullets and everything else at their disposal down the hall towards the two fleeing Nobodies that were their targets. They were able to dodge each projectile and took a sharp turn which in turn revealed a wall that had been torn down which lead to an overwhelming sense of déjà vu to overwhelm Roxas for a moment. This was the exact route he had taken when the Giant Heartless had chased him and that's what gave him an idea, an idea that might mean life or death for him and Naminé.

Without saying a word he sprinted forward down the hall at the empty elevator shaft that now stood open at the end of the hall due to people trying to fix the elevator that was half poking up in the opening. "You can't outrun us forever boy!" He resisted the urge to yell back some obscenities and instead focused on the maneuver he would have to pull off while dodging what they were throwing at him.

"Roxxass!" Naminé squealed as the gaping hole rushed up on them. Roxas didn't answer her though as he quickly skidded to a halt wary of the distance between him and Naminé and the Nobodies turning the corner to come at them at full speed. She didn't have long to worry though for Roxas picked her up in a bridal hold and rapidly stepped onto the stuck elevator. As he put his hand forward and released another outpouring of rushing light to greet his enemies.

The light pounded into them once again but this time they were ready for it and dismissed it with an expert wave of a weapon but by the time the Nobodies Operatives got to the elevator Roxas and Naminé were gone. His wings filled the small space that was allotted for the elevator in its entirety as he beat the air furiously to keep himself rising with the extra weight along with the stilled air. Naminé clung to him tightly as the air rushed by burying her head in his chest praying that it would be over soon but also wishing it would never end.

In no time they had reached the top of the shaft and spilled over onto the open roof where the storm hit them at full blast but now wasn't the time for rest. Out of the corner of his eye Roxas saw the black swirling mist that would soon become a portal for the monsters to get to them. Still holding Naminé closely, he ran full tilt towards the edge of the hotels roof as the wind and rain tugged at him every which way before he jumped over the edge and greeted the stormy city air with his wings wide open.

They plummeted for the first few seconds eliciting a high intake of breath from the pale soaked girl he was carrying but soon even with the wind, rain and sporadic lightning they leveled out to some degree. The lightning peppered the sky in a vicious way creating a hostile environment that Roxas knew they couldn't stay in it for long. Angling himself downward he spotted a lower building that was directly across from the hotel and knew that where they would land. He made sure to keep his wings as close as he could without falling to try and slip through the storm so Saix and the others would have no idea where they had gone.

As he flew he looked down briefly to see that yellow eyes were lingering in the alleyways as if in doubt whether to join in the fray that was the battle raging in the Hollow Bastion. But he didn't have long to wonder why as the building's roof closed in on them, he hoped he could stash Naminé here and perhaps go join the battle taking place below but a cruel chain of events however would never have a chance to come together.

Roxas knew something was wrong even before his feet hit the roof…a second later his back exploded in pain as a sword sliced into him at full tilt to leave a jagged cut just below his open wings. The brute force of it caused him to fumble forward fighting back the need to fall on the ground and scream in agony as he let Naminé go to stand on her own beside him with a scared slashed concerned expression as her eyes fearfully looked at the man across from them. The giant gash bled profusely from where the sword had landed on him making him feel woozy but he had to fight because standing in front of them in the raging storm was the man he hated more than anything in the world, Sephiroth.

"I'm glad you came, Roxas." Sephiroth said smoothly, his one wing extended straight out despite the winds that tore through the feathers with ferocity. "Me and you both know it's time to end this."

"Naminé get out of here, I'll take care of this." Roxas said flatly knowing she would only get in the way during this battle. He didn't even glance back to see if she had done what he had asked and instead launched himself forward, wings in tight spraying blood out from his back in this quick move. His keyblade made an intricate pattern through the air sweeping through raindrops as he out swung the giant blade to make it through Sephiroth's defense to smash his keyblade against the man's arm creating a satisfying crack.

The arm he had hit bent at an odd angle and resigned itself to hang uselessly by Sephiroth's side but his other arm made up for it when it slashed down to clash with the keyblade that was swung up to block it, "I see none of the others could finish either of you off, I thought as much." Sephiroth laughed as both of their weapons remained locked. Roxas let out a snarl as he held onto his keyblade with one hand and put the other on Sephiroth's chest to let loose a barrage of light sending the man skidding backwards and creating a hole in his clothing where Roxas' hand had been but his skin was unmarked.

He was about to rush forward again when Sephiroth spoke once more, "Have you ever wondered about the other Subjects that came before you Roxas?" His voice send shivers down Roxas' spine as his hair on the back of neck rose up. "So many died before you to create the legacy you are heralding but one other survived." He raised his sword to the air signally a loud rumble to echo out as thunder greeted the world.

"I was Subject Six, Roxas, the one that came before and was ultimately considered a failure by all, being deemed useless." His green eyes flickered and seemed to light up as lighting touched down behind him in the city. "But now I will kill you and claim my rightful place as the one that will be the harbinger of the new race that will come after Nobodies."

"Shut up, just shut up for once!" Roxas yelled back reaching his breaking point in patience with everything that had happened this night, he raised his keyblade high mirroring Sephiroth's move and prepared for another battle of when something went wrong.

His heart felt like it had been frozen over and his legs halted in their step. Moving his head he saw Naminé walk forward by him with her arm outstretched towards Sephiroth, her pale blonde hair clinging to her face wet with rain. "You were right before, this ends now you monster." Sephiroth was frozen as well except for his clothes billowing in the wind.

Her bare feet stepped in the puddles that had formed on the roof sending up tiny droplets with each footstep. Her face a cold and unmoving as she moved in to the man that unknowing to Roxas had caused her much pain and suffering even though both of them had been at the hands of the scientists. She stopped in her trek and turned around just once to put a simple finger to her lips and as she smiled pitifully back at the frozen boy that meant so much to her before facing back forward.

Then, just as the winds died down for a quick moment, her hand closed on its self crushing the invisible heart within her grasp in a swift movement.

Sephiroth let out a choked sob as his shot out to clutch at his chest, his eyes wide in unhidden panic and pain. His head fell to his chest as his long silver hair danced about his head in the wind.

The rain poured down as everything went still and even the battle below seemed distant as if it was happening somewhere else. But then with a wrench his head went upright and an elongated twisted smile formed on Sephiroth's face as a sadistic laugh erupted from deep within his chest.

"Foolish girl, I HAVE NO HEART!"

His sword thrust forward in a move that seemed to defy physics. The wind grew silent once more as a gasp was released from Naminés tightly held lips. Warm blood seeped out and stained her damp dress as her knees bent forward. She stared up in the sky, her arms limp at her sides, as her frail form shook from a cold that had fell upon her like no other. She fell a second later with a small thump as Sephiroth pulled the now slick with blood blade out of her and took a step back.

A silent scream rushed out of Roxas' throat as he ran forward to cradle her close to his body. Oddly enough Sephiroth just watched with an eerie sort of delight as the pain of losing someone fell on Roxas.

"It's ok Roxas" Her breath staggered in pain. "I knew this would happen." Roxas didn't say anything but his eyes and heart told her all she needed to know as the life slowly bled out of her. "I only knew you for a short while Roxas but I had always known one thing," Her pale trembling hand reached out and cupped the side of his face that was still stained with blackness. "I did the world a favor when I saved you…" Her hand fell to the ground as the effort became too much.

Her eyes stared up into his and filled with tears as she uttered the last sentence of her life, "Just please…never forget me." And then, with one last staggering breath, Naminés eyes glazed over as the life she had fought so hard to keep fled into the unknown.

"Naminé…Naminé!" Roxas shook her roughly but no response was to be had. He hugged her tightly as his denial of her dying slowly fell away. He felt water drip down his face as pain worse than any headache he had ever had eclipsed his heart. He had only known her for what seemed like a heartbeat but in that short time he had met someone that had known what he had gone through and had saved him from the growing danger inside of him.

Pulling back he slowly lowered her soulless body to lay on the ground as he stood over her, the wound on his back long forgotten. His gut was torn in two different ways as he moved his eyes up to meet Sephiroth's sickly green ones. "Now it's your turn boy and this time no one will save you."

"I don't need saving! YOU DO!" Roxas screamed, his keyblade now something twisted and dark as blackness erupted from the ground around him. The boiling energy whipped this way and that as it slowly grew in intensity. Roxas shot through the air, his wings pushing through the air as he slammed his keyblade against the hard steel that was Masamune. His foot lifted off the ground and smashed against Sephiroth's exposed chest sending him skidding back a few feet as the black energy that slithered on the floor tore at him in an attempt to bind him down.

Their swords continued to clash as the storm picked up speed around them as if to mirror the blockbuster fight that was taking place on the roof. Lighting sparked the air as the swords hit and thunder boomed each time a blow landed. "I will never lose to you!" Sephiroth roared as he swung his sword down cutting into the edge of Roxas' bloodied sweatshirt before clashing once more against the black keyblade that Roxas now possessed.

Frustration erupted on both sides as each tried to force the others blade down. For a moment it seemed as if Sephiroth had gained the upper hand until darkness began to swirl around the keyblade imbuing with more power to tip the scales in Roxas' favor. Their weapons rose high into the air in its clash as the storm seemed to be at its peak of power.

Their eyes met together as Roxas uttered, "You're not going to lose to me."

He pushed back hard with both of his wings and for a split second Sephiroth stood with his might sword proudly lifted to the sky and that's all it took for a single bolt of lightning to search him out and use him as grounding. The light that was emitted from this blast was so bright Roxas was forced to shield his eyes from the brunt of it. It was gone a moment later and when Roxas' eyes had readjusted to the dark sky once more he saw that Sephiroth was no longer a threat to him and he turned away in disgust.

The storm seemed to die down instantly as soon only rain was left as Roxas slowly walked over to Naminé, the sadness returning full force seeing her damaged form on the ground. Clapping filled the air in a sadistic applause as Roxas slowly turned his head to see a strange short bald man with a billowing cloak approach him. "Bravo, bravo Subject Seven, you have far exceeded any expectations I had hoped for you." His voice was filled with cruelty that could kill kittens. "You even played brilliantly into my hands." He held them out in display to prove his point more forcefully.

"I knew that Sephiroth would let anger get the best of him and I knew that the only way to expose your true potential was kill off someone you held dear. But now it's time to come with me Roxas and start the new age that humanity has entered."

Enough was enough, no more enemies, and no more demands, Roxas was sick of it all. "Fuck you." He said without emotion. The laid back demeanor of the man was quickly replaced by a cold calculating one.

"I guess you have never heard of me Subject Seven or else you would know I am not to be trifled with." His gold eyes became slits. Without moving, Roxas found his arms become powerless as the muscles refused to obey him as the acted on their own to grasp the keyblade tightly and hold it aloft.

"What the..!" Roxas choked as his whole body rebelled against him.

"Like Naminé, I can reach inside of people, but instead of hearts my dear boy," He lowered his head, casting shadows under his eyes, "I control the whole body." Roxas watched in horror as his hand slowly reoriented the black keyblade so the tip was pointing directly at his heart. No matter how hard he fought against the force it seemed useless even as the darkness swirled around his feet, too weak to confront the stranger and useless to help in this battle of wills.

"Don't worry Roxas, it will all be alright." With that said his arms pushed backwards driving the keyblade into his heart. The world seemed to up the dial of the bloom setting as everything started to dissolve into white. He heard the bald man say one last thing before he hit the ground, powerless to do anything. "You never did find out what power the keyblade holds did you…oh well I guess you never will." His voice dissolved into a slick and cold laugh.

"Axel…" Roxas whispered as slowly as the white light went dark and the keyblade fled from his hand.

And then, at 4:53 AM, Roxas Strife's heart ceased to beat.


	35. Chapter 35

I don't own anything.

* * *

Blood and bodies were scattered across the floor in a gruesome visage as the battle raged on as both sides refused to buckle down under the opposing pressure. A wave of water slammed into gunmen knocking them over instantly as a giant sword swept through the air in front of its wielder to slash into the advancing black garbed military men in an attempt to postpone their advancement into the depths of the hotel for as long as possible.

The military army seemed unfazed by the sheer amount of members they had lost so far and continued on their tireless march with faces hidden under hoods that masked their intentions with each move they made. No fear or hesitation could be seen in their movements making the army seem more robotic than human stirring even more fear in the slowly losing hotel side. They had no idea how much longer they have to fight until they would be given the sign to retreat and hopefully evacuate somehow before they were all brutally murdered by the inhuman enemy.

All around him Cloud watched as time after time people he had known and even considered friends were cut down in their effort to protect their loved ones who were evacuating in the underbelly of the hotel for with each minute that passed another person escaped. Sweat had started to drip into his eyes to sting them as he continually moved his sword with precision as he thanked god one more time that he had sent Sora to lead the evacuation and prayed that Roxas had made it down there with Naminé.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on things that were out of his control especially since he saw someone fall down to his right after he was cut down by a long ax. Right now he had to focus on the battle and block out anything else if they were to have any chance of winning this thing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw sparks of fire fly up from what could only be described as a duel. Another burst of gunfire though didn't allow him to focus on this for long though.

On the other side of the once grand lobby that had been so easily turned into a slaughter house, Axel was fighting two fights, one from within and the other against the Nobody named Xaldin. At each swing he took he had to quell the growing fire that was burning furiously in his gut for it was threatening to pour out any second. This problem was made extremely difficult to handle by the dreadlocked man that was controlling an array of spears with deadly precision.

They swirled around him as he ducked and weaved through Axels numerous swings and bursts of fire. When Xaldin did attack he would send the spears as one unit at Axel in attempts that could be described as trying to create a new kind of shish kabob.

Axel had been fighting him ever since he saw Roxas leave the room with Naminé in tow to get to the evacuation center. Worry lurked in his heart though distracting him enough for the fire to push out around him in a swift burst that burned the ground it spread over. It extended out and seemed to spike into the air in a fit. Seeing that, Axel instantly pulled it back inward but it still shone out around his feet with each step he took.

He couldn't lose control in here, not with so many people around him that were his allies. Fire new naught how to distinguish friend from foe and would turn his friends to crisp as easily as it did the military.

Sadly, this quick distraction was all Xaldin needed to swoop in and send his spears forward directly towards Axels chest. It was all Axel could do to put his chakrams up in a sad attempt to block the sharp projectiles from skewering him to the floor right then and there. His block proved effective in this area of worry but he was off balance from his quick movement before resulting in the spears clanging against his metal wheels with enough force to send him skidding backwards through the different waves of attack.

With great effort he was able to push the spears away and send one of his chakrams flinging through the air directly towards Xaldin who was rushing forward to finish the job. As it flew through the air it exploded into flames becoming an even deadlier projectile. Xaldin saw it coming and tried to bring up a gust of wind to redirect it but it was to slow of move.

The Chakram slipped through his defenses and cut deeply into his chest where it stuck in place, still simmering a bit, as Xaldin brought up a gloved hand and ripped it out sending his mottled blood spraying out on to the floor. He dropped the wheel abruptly to the floor as he bared his teeth in pain and anger.

This threatening gaze did little to make Axel hesitate as he moved in for the kill but Xaldin still had some moves up his sleeve allowing him to bring up a sizable amount of wind and shove it into Axel who tumbled to the ground where he was abruptly pulled by yet another gust sent his way out into the billowing storm. He only came to a stop at the direct bottom of the stairs that led up to the dying hotel.

The rain poured down onto him matting his vibrant red hair down onto his face as lightning and thunder rang out in a frenzy. He stood up and cracked his shoulder and neck in preparation of what was to come as he watched Xaldin exit the hotel to enter the driving storm and shoot him a big toothy grin at the top of the stairs. The Spears danced around him as he began to descend the stairs, an air of ease around him from the general thought that now that the fire starter was outside in the rain and out of his element this battle couldn't be any easier. Unfortunately, as the rain pounded down on them, he couldn't be any more wrong.

Slowly a grin formed on Axels face as Xaldin walked closer and closer to him with the same look on his face that read this would be an easy kill and be something he could brag about later at dinner with the others. Axel had to stifle a laugh when he saw Xaldin reach the bottom of the stairs and furrow his eyebrows a tad when he noticed something was off which he realized a moment later. Axel was completely dry despite the rain that was drenching everything in sight. That was all he had time to realize before Axel got a wild look in his eyes and released all the fire that had been building up in him like carbonation in a pop can that had been shook one too many times.

The air was the first to react to this new development in its climate as the temperature rose in such a degree the rain that fell into range evaporated immediately. This in turn created a dry air pocket that formed around Axel. Xaldin frowned and flared his nostrils involuntarily as it slowly dawned on him that just maybe the rain idea wasn't going to work out as he had planned.

Letting his emotions get the best of him, Axel brought his weapons forth in a burst of fire and dashed forward with his teeth showing in a loud show of defiance. Xaldin sidestepped backwards but Axel was prepared for this plan of events and skidded to a stop gracefully as he swung his chakrams imbued with flames in Xaldin's' general vicinity. They knocked into a wall of spears but Axel wasn't having anymore of that and tore them away in a vicious manner with one Chakram. His other bore down towards Xaldin's throat but a rush of wind knocked him away before he could slice into it.

"You're a powerful Nobody," Xaldin remarked casually as he picked himself up from the wet ground with a slight hitch in his step created from the rips in his body that had long ago clotted. "I'm sure we have a place open in our ranks for you if you are so inclined to join us."

As Xaldin spoke his spears spun out and arose into the air so they circled Axel, sharp points shone from rain and pointed inward. Axel's eyes watched them darkly as his hands held his chakrams loosely by his sides. "And get the benefits that you guys have, no thanks." Axel answered his eyebrows down low. This sentence was punctuated by a great crack of lightning that touched down on the building directly behind them.

As if this was some sort of signal, Xaldin rolled out his neck and said, "Pity, you would have risen in the ranks quickly." The hand he held behind his back swept forward in a decisive manner to control the spears. They flew through the air, cutting their way through the raindrops but Axel seemed unfazed by this chain of reactions as he watched them make their way directly to him.

With great balance that can only be achieved from having an astounding inner ear, he sidestepped one spear while blocking another with a Chakram. This lead to a sort of ballet as Axel danced between the avalanches of spears that were intent on burying him. His hair whipped into his face from the force of his movements when he dodged yet another spear and let his chakrams spin freely just as something unexplainable seemed to drive a wedge into his heart.

Axel gasped in pain as a multitude of different events occurred at once in that single moment of time. The spinning Chakram he had let go earlier met its mark just as a spear embedded itself clearly through Axel's leg.

On the roof of the hotel, Saïx received a text that read one simple phrase, "Pull Out." The other operatives received the same text from various parts of the hotel.

In the hotels main lobby the military abruptly stopped in its attacks and started to retreat out into the rain as they left the remaining hotel defenders in shock before they recovered and started to run to the evacuation center.

Axel wheezed in pain as he fell to the ground, his chest and leg burning in agony.

The time read 4:53 Am.

* * *

Roxas opened his eyes widely as he scrambled to his feet in a wild motion while his brain tried in vain to comprehend where he was at. His eyes took in his environment in one great sweep that left him speechless at what he saw. He was in an area without walls or any clear boundaries, just blank empty white space. His ebony wings crated a stark contract with these decorations especially since he seemed to be wearing all white.

Confusion overtook him for a moment as he spun around trying to find any landmarks or anything that wasn't white but it was futile for nothing stood out. Nothing was making sense any sense. Nothing was acting as it should. Nothing was right.

"I'm so sorry Roxas." A voice rang out in the emptiness. Roxas turned around towards the sound, disbelief unhidden in his eyes.

It couldn't be, it just count be.

There standing in the great expanse of emptiness was a pale girl adorned in a white dress with pale hair. Her face showed great discomfort and anxiety as well.

"Naminé?" Then he it dawned on him what it meant if he was seeing her again. Letting his gaze fall to the groundless ground he whispered without conviction. "I'm dead aren't I?"

She shook her head slightly in a simple no but said nothing else as she took the last step forward and wrapped her arms around his frame holding him tight and burying her face in his shoulder. He didn't hesitate and hugged her back needing this small comfort as much as she apparently did before grasping her arms and pulling her back. His eyes found hers and dark blue gazed into pale azure as tears pricked at her fingers.

"Naminé, what is going on?" The memories had started to rush back to him allowing him to relive the second the keyblade pushed into his chest and triggered something inside of him. The memory of the amber eyed bald man that had controlled his every movement left him sick in the stomach as well. His only hope was that Axel had gotten away to the evacuation but he had a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach that this wasn't so.

"When I died Roxas I was able to leave a small part of my soul in your heart in order to keep the barrier I erected around your heart up and strong." She explained fervently trying to defend what she had done. Roxas said nothing as she bit her lip before continuing, "But when you were forced to stab yourself you unlocked your heart and in result destroyed the shield into almost nothing."

Roxas felt himself almost stop breathing as he took a step backwards and put a hand to his chest.

He had no heartbeat.

It was then he started to notice the edges of the white expanse were starting to corrode and turn black in splotches but Naminés voice brought his attention back forward.

"The blackness that remained in your body, encouraged by the keyblade, rushed to your heart in one great push." She gestured to their surroundings with a sweeping hand. "This is the last part of your heart left untainted but even now that is going to change soon." His wings expanded out as the instinct to fly away rushed into them but he knew that would do little to save either of them.

"I don't have much time left, in a few seconds you will be back in your body but you won't be you," She took a step forward and grasped his shoulders while pushing her face forward so their noses were almost touching, "You have to remember red hair Roxas." Her face was hard and set as the self pity drained away replaced with the strong desire to see this through. The blackness of the room had spread so there was only a circle of white around them now.

"You have to remember red hair," She pleaded desperately as the darkness crept under their feet. Roxas felt his legs slip into it as the black tendrils rose up and began to pull him under. He struggled violently against them as the dread of what was to come overcame him. The pull was to strong though and grabbed at every inch of him but before his head was finally pulled under he heard Naminés voice one more time.

"REMEMBER AXEL!"

* * *

Xehanort sent out the mass text to his field agents signally them it was time to pack up and head out as he strode across the roof with a cruel smile smattered on his face. The mission had been a resounding success and he couldn't help but feel a bit of pride as well as he watched the darkness swirl on the unconscious body of Subject slowly covering every inch of him with writhing back tendrils. The speed of the change was impressive and just served to confirm all the reports that had been written up about him over the time he had been at the Institute. It almost made Xehanort regret not looking into him sooner.

Turning back around, Xehanort dialed a number in his phone and waited a short while until it was picked up and saying "Xemnas, I will need your unique assistance to take Subject Seven into custody." He glanced back at the boy before adding, "Be quick about it to." He hung up before a reply was to be heard and let himself enjoy this moment of victory before the next phase of the plan was effortlessly executed.

All his planning and scheming had finally come to fruition. Unfortunately for this man, this sense of achievement was ultimately his biggest flaw.

Yellow eyes shined brightly behind him as a being of darkness awoke to greet the night. It was different than most of its kind for it seemed to be calm and collected rather than an angry beast of hunger as it crept to its hands and feet with its wings expanded out from its back dripping with blackness. It crouched down low to the ground as its primitive mind tried to comprehend where it was at when its bright yellow eyes caught sight of the beating heart in front of it.

The beast that used to be Roxas opened its maw of a mouth to let its sharp teeth, created from the dark energy, leer out as it let out a breathy growl as the need inside of it to feed grew stronger. Slinking forward with the swiftness of a jungle cat, its yellows eyes vivid with the need to tear and kill as it slashed forward with its deadly claws.

Xehanort had heard the movement behind him so he had thought he was ready for the assault that was about to come but underestimated the speed that the Subject now possessed. He felt the talons rake into his back but spun around at the same time feeling anger well up and a crude sort of happiness that this subject had been more of a success than they ever could have believed. Pushing out with his hand he tossed the Shadow away and observed briefly the animal that the defiant boy had become before slowly putting his power over him.

The shadows movements immediately became slow and constricted as it was forced down to the ground by its own muscles. Growls of beastly anger erupted forth as it struggled and heaved. Between these bouts of rage it whipped its head up to gaze into the amber eyes. Deep down its gut twisted in fury as something long forgotten resurfaced. With this new realization falling on it, slowly it's muscled creaked back into its control.

It let out a seething hiss as it crouched on the ground not letting the man know it was no longer caged inside its own body and waited for its chance to escape. The man made some crude talking sounds as he walked over to it to size it up before whipping out a metal device and speaking into it with anger in his voice. Seeing its chance, it crawled along the ground, careful to keep its wings in tight towards the edge of the roof where it immediately leapt off and expanded its wings before the man knew anything was up.

The shadow flew through the rain experiencing a raw sensation that was the closest to joy it could feel before landing in the alleyway where its brothers and sisters cowered away from its presence sensing it was different from them. The shadow didn't mind though and paid them no heed as it watched the building across from it to see a crowd of beating hearts exit from a tall structure that had little to no heat sources left in it. Their hearts beat with such ferocity it brought dark saliva to its mouth as the anticipation of what was to come made it tilt its head in excitement.

Yet something was wrong.

Deep down, somewhere in the pits of its core, something like an itch was driving it mad. Bringing up a foot it scratched absentmindedly trying to drive it away but the nagging feeling remained. It blew out a puff of air and bit its arm as it absentmindedly sat on the ground watching the hearts dance towards it with mild amusement on its dark features. Again the sense of revulsion peppered up but it shook its body out and felt it fall away for the moment.

"Screw you!" A voice called out with pain literally in every syllable that was uttered. For some reason this voice meant something to the shadow causing it to creep out into the entrance of the alleyway and orient its body towards the speaker, cocking its head in interest. There in the rain soaked street was a man half standing, half sitting with what looked like a long stick jutting through one of his legs pinning him effectively to the road. The body temperature of the man seemed to be easily twice the normal range of the normal person but what stood out the most was the red hair that was plastered on the man's head.

The man tried to pull out the spear but cried out in an aggravated roar of pain when it embedded itself deeper in the road. "Really Axel, you should stop struggling." Though the words meant nothing to it, the shadow suddenly felt hot white fire sprout up in its chest at the suffering of this man though no knowledge as to why existed in him. The dreadlocked man walked forward to the red headed individual not caring about all the hearts that were racing him by to dart into what looked like big gaping holes that hung in the air.

The beast of shadow longed to go chase down the hearts that were getting away but something stronger in its chest made it stay in its spot crouching in the rain to watch the affair take place. The dreadlocked man halted in place with his sticks floating around him, his heart was clearly tainted by the smell that cloyed the air around him which caused the shadow to wrinkle its nose in disgust. It began to creep forward even more, the gut reaction to the red head increasing at every foot it traveled.

The other Heartless remained in the alleyway but as if encouraged by their cousin's progress, began to edge towards the entrance of the alleyways. Their yellow eyes gazing out with no emotion.

"It seems like you are having more fun than you should be Xaldin." The shadow instantly bristled at this voice as a blue haired man stepped out of a hole in the air. The man's demeanor changed instantly when he saw who the dreadlocked man was torturing. "Step back, he's mine." Though clearly in pain, the red head shot out a hand with stilted movements as fire began to spring up near the two threatening black robed men but they dodged them ease and it was put out a second later by the wind that picked up.

Xaldin just shook his head at this useless effort, "Get it done fast Saïx." He was then being distracted by a small buzzing that erupted from his pocket distracting him long enough to let the fact that the blue haired demon was walking to the red head with a feral grin on his face as he brought a giant claymore to his hand slide.

"This time I will rip into your throat." His Claymore was hefted up onto his shoulder as only a sliver of humanity remained in his eyes. "And after that…" He licked his lips, "I will find that Subject Seven and give him faze two in his initiation." This threat caused Axels' face to screw up in anger as he tried to pull free of his predicament as the rain soaked him thoroughly. Saïx crept all the while closer during Axel futile fight against the spear embedded in his leg, his teeth showing in a feral smile.

The shadows yellow eyes shined brightly as it began to sprint forward on all fours. A deep gut feeling shouted with a mighty yell that this could not happen urging it to run faster until it was practically a blur speeding along the rain soaked road.

None saw it coming.

When it was close enough it leapt into the air, its wings catching the air flicking the rain away, and tackled the blue haired man that had begun to raise the giant sword. It hit Saïx with such force that they both fell to the ground in a fit of tangled limbs as the dark beast ripped its claws and teeth into anything it could reach. The strange thing was that it didn't even care about the beating heart mere inches away from its face. The only want that burned inside it was to cause as much pain and suffering on this man as it could.

It bounded away an instant later as a flurry of wind whipped up from Xaldin smashed into where it once had been. "We have to catch him Saïx, just got a call from the higher up, that's Subject Seven." The blue haired man stood up in a flurry of movement as the bright moon that now appeared in the sky reflected in his eyes.

"No…" The shadow heard the Red Head whisper over the beating rain. "It can't be." The voice so familiar and warming to the shadow made its chest ache in an odd way. Ignoring the threat of the two men it crept forward, low to the ground, towards the pinned man that caused its insides to itch. The man's face held disbelief and pain not caused by the long weapon skewering his leg but by the news he had just heard.

Vivid yellow eyes peered into the green ones as a single word floated into the primal mind of the beast.

Axel.

The shadow began to shudder as the memories overcame its feral mind in a moment that seemed to happen outside of reality and in another dimension. "Remember red hair!" Rang loudly in his head over and over again causing Roxas to hold his head in his claws as he fought to control himself as the hearts beating around him became louder and louder stirring the primal urge inside of him to feed. Yellow eyes reopened to witness the world through Heartless' eyes as he saw his Axel looking at him with such hopelessness it made him hurt.

Striving to keep his mind intact and not give back into the Heartless side of him, he ran forward, still on all fours for he no longer remembered how to run on two and grasped the pole lodged in Axel's leg and pulled with all his might. To his surprise he watched as Axel seemed to overcome his shock and clutch the spear alongside him pulling in tandem. Even with both of them pulling on it the spear remained stubbornly locked into the road and in Axel's leg.

Not able to keep up with the strain of hearing Axel grind his teeth in pain he let the spear go and turned back to the two men that seemed to be evaluating the situation though Saïx seemed to be having difficulty in that department as something seemed to be overtaking him. Roxas glanced back at his friend and tried to tell him that everything would be ok and that he wouldn't let anything happen to him but sadly his mouth could no longer form the words he longed to say resulting in his sentence of comfort being transformed into guttural whines that sounded uncannily like a dog.

He looked away before he could see the reaction Axel had to this and instead leapt forward, wings expanded, into the fight that would free Axel. His logic was that if he killed Xaldin or otherwise incapacitated him then the spear would disappear and then hopefully Axel would be able to escape.

Xaldin was not ready for this sudden attack leading to his first strike against the man to be a successful one as his claws slashed into the yielding flesh with ease as the darkness roiled on his skin empowering him with strength he had never possessed before. He was about to sink his fangs into the open neck when he was torn asunder onto the ground by a giant claymore that had been swung into him. Blackness spewed forth from where he had been hit but oddly enough he felt no pain allowing him to quickly rebound back and tackle Saïx as the beast that thrived inside of him took over for a brief moment.

His back legs scraped into the man's stomach as he bit down roughly on the shoulder that had been exposed. Blood poured instantly into his mouth but Roxas didn't mind, the roar of pain he brought forth was his reward.

Unable to use his claymore, Saïx was reduced to using his arms and teeth as well which was all well and good as the moon above gave him its lunar blessings strengthening him. He raked his claws into Subjects Sevens back and pried the head back roughly as spears shot forth into Roxas sending him to the ground.

Dimly, Roxas heard his name called out as he shuddered back to his feet and saw about three spears sticking out of him from odd angles. Without hesitation he ripped them free of his body sending more darkness shooting out of him like a geyser. His yellow eyes dimmed slightly from unfelt pain but Roxas' only thought was he had to terminate his target, Xaldin, soon before anything could happen to Axel.

With lightning speed he dashed back forward once more ignoring the fire he saw rise up around Saïx and sank his fangs this time directly on the vein of life that pulsed on Xaldin neck. The man's eyes widened in surprise as his legs gave way under the pain and weight Roxas had delivered on him. They both hit the ground with a splash, sending rainwater up into the air as Roxas growled continuously and watched with no remorse as Xaldin struggled pitifully against his vice of a bite.

It wouldn't have mattered if he had gotten Roxas off of him anyways as already to much of his life blood had been shed for him to survive so when Saïx finally got to them and ripped Roxas off it was too late for the controller of winds to be saved. His back arched in pain as he rolled over onto his stomach and tried to crawl forward towards Axel. His eyes were just a void of frustration and pent up rage as he struggled to keep his spears manifested and to even bring more in an effort to finish off his last target if it was the last thing he did.

Axel just stared at the once powerful man that had been reduced to so little as he fought to bring a single Chakram to his blood soaked hand.

Roxas let out a growl and kicked away from Saïx and pounced on Xaldin to deliver the second fatal bite on the back of the neck to finally put an end to the man who had caused so much destruction in his one life time. Xaldin let out a roar and craned his neck up to the sky only to feel the cruel slice of spinning blades sink into his ripped throat. His cry of pain was abruptly cut off as it became a hoarse pitiful thing as blood sprayed out from this effort until finally there was no more breath in his lungs to cry out with.

Roxas stayed where he was with his visceral teeth in the back of Xaldin's neck though he no longer could feel the mighty heartbeat any longer. With all the blood in his nose he accidently lost himself in the savage moment and began to bite further into the neck enjoying the sweet sensation of blood caressing his tongue before utter revulsion overwhelmed him sending him buckling away in fear of himself. His yellow eyes were muted with horror sweeping underneath them as the iron coated the inside of his nostrils refused to leave.

He was in such shock at what he had just done that he didn't notice the claymore hurtling through the air towards his crouched body. His eyes glanced up to late for him to react as he struggled to dodge to the side, his oversized claws slipping on the wet road.

The Claymore sliced through the air as time slowed down to such a degree the raindrops fell through the air at a snail's pace. Just as the Claymore was about to smash into his body to shatter his back instantaneously a wheel of metal clanged into the claymore knocking it just enough off course to crash harmlessly off to the side just short of Roxas' arm.

A hiss erupted from between his teeth unintentionally as he lunged at the unprepared feral man knocking him to the ground where his fangs were attracted like a magnet to the beating heart. Instead his canines met with Saïx arm while the man's other arm whipped out and grabbed his hair to swing him off to the ground but his grip on the arm refused to give.

They both froze a second later as the power of another's mans will descended upon both of them with such supremacy it made their hairs stand on end. "It seems that both of my _top _operatives are even more incompetent than I had been lead to believe." Xehanort remarked condescendingly with utter revulsion peppering each syllable that he spoke. Roxas watched out of the corner of his eye as Xehanort walked forward out of the shadows gazing at the torn apart body that had once been Xaldin.

No pity was seen, just disgust.

He saw Axel off to the side trying to struggle to his feet now that he was free causing Roxas panic starting to flutter to his life in his chest as he prayed that Axel would stop moving to avoid attracting the attention of the man.

"I am extremely disappointed in you Saïx. After all the talk about you from Xemnas I had hoped that maybe you would be worth keeping around but yet here you are at the mercy of a simple Heartless." He clicked his tongue against his front teeth to show his annoyance. Roxas meanwhile was still trapped in his body no matter how hard he thrashed. The memory of escaping the power once before flitted into his mind but in order to do that he would have to descend back into the mind of a Shadow and he didn't know if he could pull himself out once he was free.

His mind was brought back forward when the sound of boots clicking against the ground arose right next to his ear as Xehanort stood over them with glowing amber eyes. Without moving his power flowed out of him and forced Roxas off of Saïx and onto the wet road where his body was forced to bend on the ground. His back arched against tar as his head bent as far as it would go.

A human scream erupted from his mouth as suddenly all his bones contorted in such a way they were all on the edge of being pushed over the edge and snapping in two.

"No!" Axel yelled as fire sprang up from the ground and surrounded Xehanort who widened his eyes just for a second before sweeping around, and confronting the man he had thought was dead. A smile cracked on his lips as he relaxed his grip on Subject Sevens body and let the boy return back to a comfortable station on the ground as he pushed his will on the man who intrigued him.

Axel fought viciously against the control like a dog on a short chain but the end was inevitable as he was forced to his knees, hands planted firmly on the ground.

As Xehanort advance forward through the dwindling flames, Roxas' mind when into a fury of thoughts of denial of what was happening before settling into the fact of what was to come. Letting out a low growl he focused on one thought with all his might and allowed his mind to slip away to let the mind of the beast take over.

A sort of hush fell over the crowd of the four people as all of them felt the shift in power taint the air palpably. Xehanort lowered his head in poorly controlled wrath as he sent out a hand to forcefully send his power out onto the heaving body that was Subject Seven. The shadow squirmed on the ground like a person trapped in a straight jacket as the battle of wills ensued in the sprinkling rain. It was this battle that let Xehanort's power over Axel slip just enough to let the red head sent up one more pyre of fire under the bald mans feet setting him aflame.

Teeth slavered and claws scratched deep long trenches in the road as the shadow quivered with some unknown emotion before it darted forward past the flaming man as fast as a cheetah, letting out a strange crowing noise as it went. This call was picked up all around them as the yellow eyes finally emerged from their hidings spots in the alleyways to converge on the beating hearts with vigor in their leaps.

With this distraction in place, the shadow focused on the one thought that remained in its head and locked onto the red hair that flitted in its vision as it swerved around the bald man. The yellow eyes bounced in a frenzy as the shadow whipped its wings out and scooped up the fallen man who meant so much to it before contracting all its muscles and bounding up into the rain soaked sky. The darkness that surrounded it flared up from all the energy that was being consumed from lifting up itself and a whole other person.

Xehanort ground his teeth in fury as he batted at his clothing to diffuse the flames that still burned. Seeing the yellow eyes bounce around him, he flared his nostrils and let his hold on Saïx go as he focused on programming his watch to spew forth a portal that would get him out of there. As his portal formed and the yellow eyes got closer and closer he gave one last look up to the sky that with each second became clearer as the rain went away and watched Subject Seven fly away with all the DNA they needed. Stepping into the portal with Saïx close behind, he pulled out his phone and uttered one thing, "Execute plan Zero."

With that one sentence the permanent military guards that were stationed on the two main bridges that exited the city deserted their posts and opened the gates. The city was now open and constricted nothing, not even the Heartless that roared forward encouraged by the giant flood lights that shone from each bridge.

The shadow landed on a grassy embankment outside the city and watched as its brothers and sisters rushed out into the streets of the city towards the beacons of lights that attracted them like flies. It glanced down at Axel who was staring at him with pain laidened eyes as the blood continued to seep out of his brutally torn leg. Without thinking, the shadow leaned down and clutched the man tightly, burying its head in the man's chest as the itching sensation was calmed down by this act. Knowing somehow it had to act fast it took a step back despite the protests from the red head and leapt out into the sky.

The shadow saw that one of the bridges was already being defended by a crowd of beating hearts that felt oddly familiar throwing off his natural instinct to target them allowing it to focus enough to land on the parallel bridge and creak up into a standing position as it became he. Roxas saw out of the corner his eye, his friends and family defending the opposite bridge with all their might despite the knowledge that it would ultimately be pointless with the other bridge being completely unmanned.

His shadow reddened body shivered from all the pain and suffering that had lead up to this one moment allowing him to face the black mob with no fear. He was doing this for his friends, his family and Axel. If he could just stop the spread of the virus than maybe just maybe they would all be safe. Though these thoughts held many flaws Roxas knew what he had to do and wasn't going to back down from it.

In one epic moment he brought forth not one but two keyblades, one black as his twisted body and the other as white as his soul as he smashed both down into the ground with all his might sending out a great clamor of light and darkness busting forth from the ground. The swirling powers reached out in every direction as the control over them diminished with each passing second. The bridge in result cracked in the middle as it was split into two halves from the power ricocheting through its body.

Roxas was only the vessel for this power as his very DNA screamed out in pain for it to stop but nothing could put a stopper on such relentless energy.

The bridge clashed into the sea sending up waves that crashed down violently swallowing up all the Heartless that had tried to race across the bridge and stopping any more from trying to make the journey to the mainland.

Dark blue eyes opened just as they met the unforgiving water.

* * *

**Geeze did this chapter take everything I had to write yet I still down feel like it was good enough. Before you get out the pitchforks and torches I seriously did my best and rewrote it two times before coming up with this. This was just the best I could do. **

**There will be one more chapter after this so please review to let me know what you thought of this chapter. **

**Also bam, Roxas was one bad ass mother F***** in this chapter. And I enjoyed that haha.**


	36. Epilogue

**This chapter is dedicated to all the people that read this story and took the time out of their day to write down a few sentences saying how much the liked this story. Because if you guys hadn't done that this story would have been gone at around chapter 19. So thank you readers, this is for you.**

**I own nothing.  
**

* * *

The rain was still pounding down on the land when Sora lead the evacuation group out of the tunnel and out into the open. He allowed himself one second to take a breath before he started to wait by the entrance, encouraging the disgruntled people to move in an orderly fashion as to avoid the dangerous crowd crush scenario that could occur so easily in this situation. The people seemed to pay him no heed though as they rushed out quickly in order to breath in the fresh air that was so different than the stale air that had been cloyed with human body order that existed in the closed off tunnel.

Sora continued to orchestrate this event as his eyes combed the group for any signs of Roxas or Naminé. He knew that Cloud had to stay behind to make sure everything worked smoothly on that end but he had thought he would have seen Roxas and Naminé before now but as it was he had seen no trace of them as of yet. His eyes caught sight of the city they had been in only hours beforehand and saw the storm that was going on seemed to be focused in that area with a jubilee of lightning shooting out to hit the many of lightning rods that shot out in many a direction.

"Sora!" Riku yelled out catching Sora's attention and diverting his eyes from the city. Sora instantly had a smile on his face as he took a few steps forward before he was engulfed in a hug. "Thank god you're alright." Sora enjoyed the unusual amount of public affection Riku was sending his way but was caught off guard by how he said it with such surprise as if something could have happened to him.

"Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?" He questioned squirming away from the hug trying to appear professional but failing miserably judging by the few glances he was earning from the moving crowd. Riku didn't answer right away and instead glanced back at all the newly arriving people he had brought with him that showed signs of a fight and had fear evident in their eyes that were clearly not brought on by just being in the stale tunnel. Sora, putting all this together, put his hand on Rikus shoulder and pulled him back forward, "Riku what happened?"

Though distracted by the increasingly panicked crowd Riku answered, "There was an attack on the hotel by the military." At that moment Sora could have swore his world stopped moving.

Slowly he ripped away from his loves embrace and tried to force his way into the moving crowd but was held back by Riku as he screamed out, "CLLOUDD! ROOXXAASSS!" He didn't see either in the swarm of people that were increasingly more damaged than the prior. "Let me go Riku, I have to make sure they are ok!" But Riku just held onto him all the same and didn't relent on his grip.

"Sora," Cloud yelled back appearing out of the throng of Nobodies. He rushed up Sora and Riku with a wild frenzied expression adorning his face, "Have you seen Roxas and Naminé?" His eyes were scanning the mass of people as he waited for an answer.

"No, what is going on!" Sora asked loudly trying to be heard over the yells and screams. He wasn't answered though as Clouds eyes retracted into pinpoints at the sight of something. Sora and Riku turned to see and dimly hear the giant gates on the twin bridges that lead into the city start to open slowly as giant search lights illuminated the night sky. The horrendous cry of millions of Heartless was soon picked up as across the city they saw the bright lights and were drawn forth.

Without hesitation Cloud sprung into action summoning his giant buster blade in a flash of light that caught the attention of the frenzied mob. "I know you're all scared but right now I need your cooperation if we are going to make it through this night." The panic still hung in the air but the people stopped moving and listened. "Everyone that can still fight needs to head toward the bridge now!"

There was a slight ripple of hesitation that followed this command but Squall stepped forth and with a short nod broke out into a run towards the nearest bridge. This act of bravery was the last thing that was needed to bolster the troop's uncertainty as soon more and more ran after him to the bridge to stop the impending horde. Cloud started to walk after them but was stopped by a rough calloused hand.

"What about the other bridge?" Cloud winced at this question for he was still trying to work it all out in his head.

He turned and faced his once brave leader that had fallen so hard in his eyes and said, "I'm still working on that."

"Let me go, I'll go shut the gate." Mickey retorted, his grey eyes tired and raw.

"But that's a suicide mission-" He didn't finish though as he saw something flicker in the depths of Mickey's eyes. That's when Cloud realized Mickey already knew that in order to have any chance of closing the gates he would be at the mercy of the Heartless.

Cloud felt a moment of indecisiveness but he saw that this was the Commander he had once followed so confidently once before and nodded. He gestured for Riku to come over and instructed him on what needed to be done. Riku looked like he didn't want to but held out his hand nonetheless to summon the portal necessary to get Mickey over to the bridge in time.

He walked into it but not before giving a Cloud a quick military style salute. After he was gone Cloud saluted back and simply said, "Goodbye," before turning and running to the bridge with everyone else.

Across the open sea Mickey stepped out of the closing portal onto the bridge to see the beginnings of the horde arrive in the distance urged by the dancing lights that were splayed everywhere. Without waiting another second he burst into a cold hard sprint to make it to the console before the Heartless could reach it.

As he ran the memories of losing his family to those killing machines played over and over behind his eyes as he shot the lights out one by one but realized to late that he didn't have enough bullets to finish them all off. Throwing his now useless weapon to the ground he stared into the depths of the monsters eyes without blinking and let out a ferocious roar to strengthen his reserve to do what had to be done. His wet cloak flew into his legs as he skidded to a stop and climbed up the ladder just as the first waves of Heartless began to reach where he was at.

His hand reached out toward the top rung as he yelled out, "This is for Minnie!" but as cruel fate would have it just as he was about to reach the lever that would deploy the gates cruel claws ripped into his legs and dragged him back down. Grabbing another rung he held on for dear life as his legs ceased to exist in a matter of seconds. Slowly his hands were pulled from their grip resulting in him falling to the ground with an undignified grunt.

Despite his pride he couldn't help but scream out in anger, frustration and fear as the hopes for the world dwindled away with more and more Heartless running past him and across the bridge to try and reach the mainland.

Claws tore into his defenseless chest as his eyes continued to stare out when in his last throes of life he saw a peculiar Heartless land on the bridge with blackened wings and vivid yellow eyes that seemed to outshine any other Heartless'. It stood upright, a lone figure against the onslaught of heartless that was about to rush it when two keyblades appeared in its hands and it was engulfed in light and darkness all at once.

That was all he saw before his heart was brutally torn from his ribcage and his world went still.

* * *

"NO!" Axel screamed in such agony it made his throat go raw almost instantly as he helplessly watched the mile long bridge crash violently into the sea. The impacts were so great that when they hit the water giant waves erupted forth from both sides to spill out in different directions. The dark and light energy that had been swirling around in the air in what looked like an attempt to caress the sky pulled back into its source in an instant like a giant star imploding on itself leaving no sign of Roxas in sight.

"YOU CAN"T DO THIS!" Axel yelled as he struggled to his feet ignoring the blistering pain that exploded from his leg from the pressure he was putting on it. The pain was so intense it caused him to fall back down into the mud that was recently created due to the rain that had stopped only mere minutes ago. He smashed his fist into the ground in his pain deluded rage due to everything spinning radically out of his control. Shooting his head back up he refused to give up while Roxas was out there, he slapped his hand against the hole in his leg and applied heat to close and stop the bleeding as best as he could manually since his body was refusing to do it itself.

He grimaced slightly from the pain that shot up in the split second it took to do it but was on his feet an instant later doing his best to walk onward to the collapsing bridge.

"You CAN'T just leave me here and expect me to UNDERSTAND!" This last screech seemed to shred his heart apart even more as the fears settled in further when he saw yet another piece of rubble descend into the ocean to disappear just like Roxas most likely had. His teeth were locked tightly together as he pushed that last through away forcefully. When that didn't work he began to walk faster until he was practically running even though his leg was about to give out at any second because of the weight that was being repeatedly pushed on it. But the thought of those yellow eyes that had stared into him during the last few seconds Roxas had been with him caused him to run even faster overlooking the fact that his leg wouldn't be able to take much more of this.

Roxas, his Roxas, transformed into the creature that had tried to kill him so many times before had stared into him with those glowing eyes. It had seemed unreal at first, like it had to be some fucked up nightmare he was having but then the horrific realization that it was real and that Heartless had been Roxas. How he had turned into one and what had happened during their time apart didn't matter now, what mattered was making sure Roxas was ok.

He had to be ok.

Axel's leg unfortunately wasn't a team player in this effort and gave out just as he hit the major highway that lead to the remaining bridge. It collapsed without any warning sending him flying forward to the ground from his momentum. The pain continued to clash through his body extending out of his leg.

"Damnit…"He tried to crawl forward, his eyes still fixed on the crumbling bridge, "Damnit, Damnit, DAMNIT!" His legs now both gave out completely, the muscles slowly dying from the abuse they had been put through.

"Axel?" A voice called out that he recognized as Sora's. "Where have you been-…oh god." Was his reaction to Axel torn body on the side of the road coated in his blood and a bit of darkness that had rubbed off of Roxas onto him. "Aerith get over here quick!" His voice was filled with panic as Axel continued to try and cross the road to where he last saw Roxas before Sora's hand fell on his shoulder stopping him.

An upraised arm smacked the restraining hand away. Sora backed away and waited for Aerith to reach them, a sad look on his face as the remaining bridge in the distance stood still and stoic in the rising sun that shown down blissfully unaware at the tragedy that the night had wrought on the land. Fire burned under Axel's skin as he attempted to stand once more but all the weight he put on the leg made his try end in failure.

Aeriths shadow fell over him when she knelt down next to him, a glowing green hand already makings its way to his leg, as the sounds of cheers erupted from the nearby bridge. With the coming of day the heartless had been driven off back into the city, their taint not spreading to the mainland just yet. But Axel didn't care, he only cared about one thing and that was Roxas. The cheers instead became an agonizing sound to him as their ignorance fueled his anger.

No one knew how horribly his world was falling apart at the seams.

"What's going on Axel?" Sora sounds scared now, the hint of panic swelling up in his voice undermining any authority he had tried to hold on to through this trying time.

"Roxas was on that BRIDGE!" He said as he tore himself away from Aeriths cool hand. His muscles had knitted back together enough to hold his weigh and he couldn't wait around another minute. The leg was still sore but it was good enough. "And now that bridge is gone." Sora had gone stock still as the shock of those statements settled in. His blue eyes were wide and scared as he turned away and ran back down to the bridge where the defenders were still celebrating.

Axel didn't care though and now that the pain was gone from his leg he was thinking clearer. There was no way he could get there in time; he had to figure out a way of getting over there faster when it hit him. He ran in the direction that Sora had went, his feet hitting the ground hard, and made his way to the one person he knew could get him there fast.

"Riku!" He yelled out to get the silver haired mans attention before skidding to a stop in front of him. "I need you to get me over there now!"

All the while he was thinking over and over again, please be ok, just please hold on.

* * *

"Roxas…" A voice called out in the darkness as Roxas floated in oblivion. He remembered the deafening sound of the bridge being torn apart by the powers that had ripped through him before he fell into the salty sea and was dragged down by the current despite his thrashing. But now everything was quiet and serene except for the unusual sound of his heart beating once more and the voice that had interrupted his thoughts.

"Roxas," The voice repeated again with a little more forcefulness to it. Dogged by this voice, Roxas slowly opened his eyes to see the white room he had been in previously with Naminé. It had been covered up by a slew of darkness but now it was as white as ever. He planted his hands on the invisible floor and stood up relieved to see that like the room he was no longer covered in blackness. His eyes darted towards the voice and saw no one in sight.

Just an empty void of white met his eyes.

"It's time to go Roxas," It called out, "Your time in that world is over." Roxas' eyes widened involuntarily when he heard that last sentence. It was said with such plainness that he almost accepted it to be true until his gut wrenched backwards to declare how mistaken it truly was.

"No, you're wrong," Was all he could think to say. Taking a step back he turned around and blindly ran as fast as he could though he knew he was going nowhere. He almost felt silly and childish but the want to live covered up any feeling of stupidity he had left.

"You can run Roxas, but you must accept it in the end." It said calmly with an almost father like tone as if it was scolding a small child that had disobeyed a simple request. Roxas continued to ignore it though and kept running even as the colors started to slip away around him. His footsteps echoed loudly through the empty expanse while the lights seemed to become dim and mute.

If he died he wouldn't get to be with his brothers, he wouldn't get to grow older, and he wouldn't have Axel! The utter wrongness of this whole situation spurred him to run even faster as a new voice interrupted the whiteness.

"You still have a chance Roxas," It called out to him inspiring much needed hope in him, "Just take my hand." After that sentence was spoken, Roxas leapt into the air, his wings out as far as they would go, to grab the hand of the girl who had helped him so many times before. Her hand clasped his and drew him upwards, a small smile tracing her lips as she said one last thing. "Remember to hold your breath." That was all he had for a warning before cold water crushed down all around him as his eyes opened to glimpse the pieces of the bridge falling into the chasms of the deep.

His lungs immediately began to cry for air as his limbs began to instantly push through the water to propel himself upwards. The irony of his life hanging in the balance by the sport he hated the very most didn't elude him as memories of his many hours spent in the tank at the institute were involuntarily brought forth in his head. Those horrid hours were paying off in a strange way though now as his lean legs and arms took over and repeated the motion he had be forced to do so many times before.

Bubbles passed by him as he swam from the large amounts of debris that was still constantly sinking around him to end up on the sandy bottom not to be discovered by anyone else for a long time. This didn't distract him for long though for sharp pain had started to build up further in his chest from the lack of oxygen. It didn't help that his wings and what was left of his clothes were weighing him down in a rather annoying way but if he stopped to strip them off there would be no way he would make it in time.

But as he saw how far away the surface still was and how little energy he seemed to be working with, the dim realization that he wasn't going to make it fell over him slowly as the glimmering surface seemed farther away than ever. Muscles still straining against the heavy water to push his body upward, he felt the last bit of air he had left in his lungs escape between his lips to float up as bubbles that rose to the surface faster than he could ever hope to go.

His hand reached out in front of him in his last bid for the surface before his straining lungs forced his mouth open to take in a struggling breath. Water rushed in filling his chest as an intense pain arose within him to shout out the obvious of this was not ok. There was nothing he could do though for slowly unconsciousness began to overtake him. His brain fought with all the ferocity it could muster in its oxygen deprived state but it was like facing a caterpillar off against a dinosaur for the fight to the death. It was no contest to who was going to win out in the end no matter how many people were cheering for the underdog.

His blue eyes never left the surface even as blackness started to merge into his vision. But as his thoughts started to slow down and the surface of the sea became more distant he thought sadly, "I'm so sorry Axel, I tried. I tried so hard." He closed his eyes as the last few bubbles of air escaped him, "I'm just so tired."

Slowly his body began to relax and stopped fighting against the water as the voice in his head became stronger once more, "Roxas…it's time to go." Dimly he felt himself start to rise up as a hand grasped his arm. "Come to me Roxas." He rose further, "You've lasted long enough." It was finally over, he could finally let go and maybe, just maybe, he would get to see his mom and dad again.

That was until his head was forced brutally out of the water and into the air. Straight away his body was wracked with rough coughs as the wretched salt water was ejected from his lungs in a violent matter from his nose and mouth.

This was not how he imagined death to be like.

"You FUCKING IDIOT," Was roared into his face as he sputtered around in the water trying to stay afloat as his big dumb wings continued to weigh him down. His head ducked under the water again as he fought to stay afloat and not die but luckily the hand holding his arm brought him back up again. His eyes finally opened to see a very angry Axel treading water behind him while currently hold him up. He seemed to be only wearing pants but seemed unaffected probably due to the fact he was running at a higher temperature.

"Didn't you think at all before acting so stupidly!" Roxas said nothing in reply though because for one he didn't know how to respond and second all his energy had now been redirected into the very important thing called staying alive. Axel looked like he want to yell more but just turned his back and started to tow Roxas back to the shore.

During the journey back to the coast Roxas continued to hack up water and struggled to swim while Axel dragged him along. But even then he didn't care, Axel could be as mad as he wanted to be for Roxas hadn't felt this happy in a long time. He wasn't dead, and Axel was with him.

It wasn't long until Roxas finally felt sand under his feet. It was the queerest sensation of feeling the sand with one foot while the other was still adorned with a shoe. He didn't feel it for long though as Axel continued to drag him out of the water.

But as Roxas started to actually use his legs for walking out of the water his body rebelled instantaneously. The wounds he had received during his fight with Saïx and Xigbar apparently still were around and now that his life wasn't in jeopardy from drowning his body had decided now was the best time to let him know he was still in trouble. He stumbled to his knees, half out of the water, and slowly brought up a hand to one of the many spear jabs he had accumulated.

They had clotted up thankfully due to his accelerated healing being jacked up during his little time spent as a heartless but they still hurt like no other. Axel turned around hearing the splash and the feeling the arm he held fall down. His face held fear as he knelt down beside Roxas and looked at the wounds with heavy eyes before scooping up his fallen friend and started to carry him back to the road that held everyone else.

The heat radiating off Axels skin felt glorious to Roxas as his body had been soaked thoroughly through and as it was still spring the water had been icy cold. As Axel walked he hugged Roxas close burying his head in his damp hair and was whispering incoherent sentences that Roxas couldn't make out. He thought he heard "Don't ever do that again."

Roxas felt guilt stab him none to gently in his heart causing him to rest his head on Axels chest and whisper, "I'll try not to." Axel couldn't help but let out a weak laugh at this pathetic excuse that Roxas threw at him.

"Try huh?" He asked looking at Roxas with some of the usual cockiness returned to his gaze. "You better do more than just _try_ and I don't care what your brother says, from now on you and I do all our missions together."

In response Roxas just held himself closer to Axel and said, "Thanks Axel." His hand gripped Axels arm tightly when he noticed dimly he no longer had a sleeve on that arm, "Thanks for everything."

At this Axel only smiled, "You're not getting away from me that easily." Though he was curious about the fact that Roxas was no longer covered in blackness and seemed for the most part normal, wings and all, but he was just so happy that he hadn't lost him that he decided he didn't really need to know just yet. Later he would ask though.

Axel walked with Roxas in his arms in comfortable silence as they slowly made their way back to the road that held all the citizens that had lived in the hotel milling around, the last bridge having been finally destroyed by the efforts of multiple talents Nobodies and not just one this time. As Roxas forced his way out of Axels arms reluctantly, there was no way he was going to show weakness in front of anyone besides Axel, he dimly wondered about all the gangs that were still in there but in the end the thoughts of Hayner caused him to not focus on it for long.

Sora ran up to him once his eyes caught sight of the two of them and hugged him with all the strength he had. His eyes wanted to ask so many questions but he held them back when he saw Cloud sidle by him to hug Roxas as well but when he pulled back his eyes were heavy. "Where is Naminé?" Axel looked like he wanted to kill Cloud for asking such a question like Roxas didn't matter but Roxas paid Axels sudden body change no heed.

"She was killed by Sephiroth." Roxas said numbly, the painful memory resurfacing. Cloud withdrew, a downcast shadow eclipsing his face hiding his feelings, as he took a step back. He then pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.

"At least you're ok; this will all work out somehow." This really made Axel want to throttle the crazy blond in front of him but he was held back by the simple hand Roxas put on his arm leaving him to only watch Cloud walk away. Roxas knew that Cloud cared about him but was just overwhelmed by all that was happening; they just needed to make it through this day and then everything work itself out.

Eventually Aerith made her way over to him to heal the remaining wounds left on his body allowing him to stand on his own without pain.

Over the course of this day Axel and Roxas mainly stayed on the side lines as everyone packed up and got everything in place in order to move out to go tell the world what had happened in Normandy City. When it was finally time to leave Axel had to shake Roxas awake as to let him know it was time to go and even then Roxas slightly dozed as they meandered forward. They all walked in a compact group on the road as if they were some makeshift parade but Roxas only felt hope envelope his chest.

They had survived, somehow they had survived. But yet something felt wrong.

"Hey I got a radio to work! I actually have a radio working!" In the city all radio tower signals and every other kind of device had been cancelled out by the military so having a radio working was a luxury many hadn't got to enjoy for a while. People crowded around to hear the wonderful technology but nothing could've prepared them for what they heard.

"I repeat…the virus is rampant and most…all people are receptive to it! Only…shot to the chest…will kill them! God save us all" A cold hush fell over the crowd as everyone stopped in their tracks to widen their eyes. Axel held Roxas instinctively closer to him as his body heated up involuntarily.

Slowly someone said with hopelessness, "It was all for nothing."

They looked out down the road and knew that now, more than ever; they would have to rely on one another if they were to survive this new nightmare.

If they had had the ability to see across the country they would have seen that the virus had already been released weeks prior to their escape and nothing had stood in its way as it made its way across North America and branched out towards the other helpless continents.

* * *

I can still remember that look that crossed Axels face as he realized that the real nightmare had only just begun. As for me I had been prepared for this the day ever since I knew that such a virus had existed though I had prayed to anyone that would listen that it would never be so. But I now know that you can't run from fate and that no matter what all you can do it face it head on and fight with all you got….because that's all you have in the end.

You can't deny or wish it away; you just have to deal with it no matter how much you wish it wasn't so.

* * *

**I can't believe it...it's over. Since January I have been writing this thing and now it's done. **

**I know, ending is kind of crappy but this is how I planned it to end no matter what even during all the major rewrites this story went through, I wanted this to stay the same no matter what. And you guys have no idea just how many times this story changed. **

**Because of the way this story ended many of you are probably asking yourselves, "Is there going to be a sequel?" And the truth is I don't know. I can kind of see myself writing one if there is enough people asking for it but in the end I truly don't know.**

**All I know is this story was way longer than I anticipated it to be but I got to say I love that it ends on a prime number for some reason.**

**Oh also for kicks and giggles I decided to post the original story plan in my profile for kicks and giggles so if you want to see it in all its horrible unedited glory go check it out.  
**

**So as this comes to an end I salute you dear readers that read and followed this story until the end, it was all for you guys.**

**And for the last time I shall ask you to review and let me know what you thought of the story as a whole as I go to the edit page and change the "In progress" button to "Complete."  
**


End file.
